Annual Holiday Pops Concerts features The Lakes Region Chordsmen

The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra invites you to join us for two spectacular Holiday Concerts on Saturday December 12th at 7:30 pm, and Sunday December 13th at 3:00 pm. Both concerts will be held at the Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium in Meredith. These much-anticipated Pops concerts feature a mix of holiday classics sure to delight young and old.

The LRSO will perform many of your seasonal favorites, including “Sleigh Ride”, “O Holy Night”, “Winter Wonderland”, and Mannheim Steamroller’s beautiful “Stille Nacht”. This year’s selections also include “Carol of the Bells”, “Christmas Rocks at the Pops”, and the recently introduced, but extraordinarily popular, “Jingle Bells Forever” – Jingle Bells meets John Philip Sousa.

The Symphony is joined this year by members of barbershop group The Lakes Region Chordsmen. “We are always looking for local talent for our holiday concerts, and we’ve never featured anything resembling the barbershop style” notes LRSO chairman Chris Mega. “The mix of their rich vocal harmonies, combined with lush orchestral sounds, will be an extraordinary experience.”

The Lakes Region Chordsmen are members of the Laconia Chapter of the Barbershop Society, which has been in existence for well over fifty years. Eight to ten members of the Chordsmen will be performing with the LRSO, both a capella, and accompanied by the orchestra.

Four of the men in this year’s performances are members of a quartet called REWIND. REWIND is a formal barbershop quartet with Jay Lachance singing lead, Joe Hayden singing tenor, both of whom are members of the Concord, NH Chapter, with Harvey ‘Scud’ Beetle singing baritone and Bob Farnham singing bass, both members of the Laconia Chapter. The other six Laconia Chapter members involved in this year’s LRSO program are: Paul Bradley of Meredith, Niall Trimby of Laconia, Dave Snell, our director, of Alton, Greg Olzerowicz of Wolfeboro, Ed Farmer of Moultonborough, and Art Lively, Chapter President, of Bristol.

“There’s something very special about holiday songs performed live in the Pops tradition – sometimes there are no words to describe the effect of a large orchestra playing songs that we’ve

all known since childhood,” says Benjamin Greene, now in his 11th year as LRSO’s conductor and music director. “It’s really heartwarming to listen to these arrangements – it’s something

you just can’t hear on the radio during the holiday season.”

The LRSO’s opening concert this season on November 7th drew many audience inquiries about these holiday concerts. The holiday concerts have been sold-out events, so patrons are encouraged to purchase tickets early.

Tickets for individual concerts are $12 for adults and $6 for students 17 and under. Tickets are available for purchase by mail, online at www.LRSO.org, or from our ticket outlets. These

include Innisfree Bookshop and the Irving station across from the town docks in Meredith; Greenlaw’s Music in Laconia; Bayswater Books in Center Harbor; Murphy’s Mobil in Moultonboro, and the Golden Pond Country Store (Citgo station) in Holderness. Any unsold tickets will be available at the door starting one hour before each concert.

The LRSO appreciates the support of its sponsors, Meredith Village Savings Bank and Laconia Harley-Davidson. Their generous community support is a big part of what makes the LRSO, a community orchestra, possible. The Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra is a Meredith-based, non-profit orchestra that performs throughout the fall, winter, and spring months. Orchestra members have ranged in age from 13 through retired seniors, representing over 36 communities in the Lakes Region.