The stage at the Key City Theatre was packed with musical talent for “Christmas in the Kootenays”. The Symphony of the Kootenays’ Christmas concert was played to a full house on Saturday night and repeated Sunday afternoon.

The concert began with the overture from the opera “Hansel and Gretel”. It is a large part of the Christmas tradition in Europe to play this opera. The overture contains some of the delectable tunes from the opera. It began with the rich, warm sound of four horns playing the enchanting “Evening Prayer” music, sung in the opera as the two children fall asleep in the forest. The expanded orchestra joined in, enriching the sound, filling the theatre with a magnificent sound with swept over us all.

Then came an annual tradition: two local students played two movements from Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C. Thea Rodgers took the stage for the first movement, and after an extended introduction by the orchestra, she began to play with self–assurance and poise. Her playing sparkled, capturing the heart of Beethoven’s music. Her phrasing was terrific, and she had an obvious affinity for the music.

The second movement was played by Ellen Ortega. This slow movement is filled with an aching yearning, with long musical lines which occasionally soar over the orchestral accompaniment, and sometimes engage in a playful dialogue. Miss Ortega matched the high standard set in the first movement. She embodied the yearning in the music, the piano becoming an extension of her musical intelligence. Congratulations to both young women.

The first half closed with a selection of eleven Polish Christmas Carols set by Witold Lutoslawski. He suffered from the same brutal government interference as other composers in eastern Europe after World War 2. Communist dictators demanded easier, accessible “folk music”, at threat to the composers’ lives.

These eleven carols, drawn from traditional 19th century Polish carol collections, showed unmistakable traces of Lutoslawski’s modern energies trickling out in the orchestral accompaniment. The carols were beautifully sung by the 70–voice Mount Baker Secondary School Female Choir and soprano soloist, Valerie Hudson, under the direction of MBSS music teacher Evan Bueckert.

Generally the soloist, choir and orchestra joined in a wonderful balance, but at times, especially when she was singing in the middle of her range, Hudson’s voice was lost in the thick orchestral texture. When she sang in the higher part of her range, however, she soared above the orchestra with a clear, beautiful tone. These carols were unfamiliar to almost all of the audience. I’d love to hear these carols again. They vary in mood and texture, capturing the mystery and elation of the birth in Bethlehem, dancing with the folksy rejoicing of the shepherds, and evoking the ethereal atmosphere surrounding the manger and sleeping child.

The second half began with a setting of a number of Christmas songs and carols by Leroy Anderson, that master of USAmerican popular music, played with energy and enthusiasm by the orchestra. The delicious orchestral touches for which Anderson is famous, were scattered throughout the delightful “Christmas Festival”.

The concert closed with the ever–popular Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky. Beginning with a miniature overture and closing with the Waltz of the Flowers, the Suite includes six short dances. The orchestra delighted in playing this popular music, and the audience swayed along with the music in this familiar and wonderful Christmas tradition.

Then the audience became a choir as we sang four carols, accompanied by full orchestra. It was a delightful concert, enjoyed by all who were present. The musical talent in Cranbrook is a delight for the ear — something of which we can be justifiably proud.

As retiring General Manager Brian dePaoli is fond of saying, “Cranbrook is the smallest city we know of that supports a professional orchestra.” We can be immensely proud of this orchestra and the musical talent found in Cranbrook!