UTAH SYMPHONY and THURL BAILEY, Abravanel Hall, Dec. 20.
Haul out the celli. Line up the reeds and strings and all the horns again. Bring in the chorus. Add a tall guest star who will deck the halls with his style.
If you needed a little Christmas, right that very minute, with music to enthrall you and spirit to the limit, Abravanel Hall was the perfect place to be Friday night. With associate conductor Scott O'Neil bouncing around the podium, and the Utah Symphony Chorus singing carols and providing backup vocals for guest star Thurl Bailey, the Utah Symphony's annual Christmas concert was wonderfully merry and bright.
The orchestra started off with a sparkling version of Anderson's "A Christmas Festival," with its blend of familiar carols that set a perfect tone for what was to come, and brought equal energy to Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." The symphony's "Marche" and "Tableau II" from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker" were lively and quick, and "Carol of the Bells" was elegant.
Bailey joined the symphony and chorus to sing a number of songs from his Christmas album, including a rousing "Drummer Boy," his tender "Shepherd Boy" and a very pretty "O Holy Night." Bailey achieved instant rapport with the audience as he joked about his height, talked about his musical influences — and sang with depth and passion.
His daughter, BreElle, helped him on a cute version of "Jolly Old St. Nicholas," and his reflective "Grown Up Christmas List" was dedicated to victims of 9/11. He also let the symphony demonstrate its funkability on a lively "Merry Christmas to My Baby."
The consensus seemed to be that the Utah Symphony could deck the hall with bows from Bailey any old time.
Another hit of the evening was the symphony and chorus' "A Musicological Journey Through the Twelve Days of Christmas," which not only mounted up the collection of gifts but also took the audience on a journey through various genres, from Gregorian chant to the music of the masters, with some Wagner, Tchaikovsky and John Philip Sousa thrown in for good measure.
The chorus also beautifully captured the feeling of such evocative songs as "O Come, Emmanuel" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" And to top it all off was a sing-along, which added more festivity as the audience joined in on some of the old favorite Christmas songs.
Anyone who had grown a little colder or felt a little older could easily find comfort and joy in the spirit and vitality of the Utah Symphony's Christmas.
E-MAIL: carma@desnews.com