The Vermont Symphony Orchestra (VSO) invites audiences to celebrate the holiday season with its annual Brass “Quintet and Counterpoint Chorus Holiday Concert” tour, which will be visiting Warren, Newport, Grafton, and Manchester between Dec. 11 and 14.
Conducted by Nathaniel G. Lew, this VSO tradition brings together brass and choral music in a program featuring traditional carols, contemporary works, and a world premiere by a Vermont high school composer.
This year’s performances include carols and focuses on compositions by Vermont composer Erik Nielsen alongside works of Moses Hogan for chorus, and Tylman Susato and Anne McGinty for brass.
“The Brass Quintet and Counterpoint Chorus tour remains one of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s beloved and enduring holiday traditions,” said VSO Executive Director Elise Brunelle in a news release. “Each year, this program unites Vermonters across communities and generations, inviting them to share in the warmth, beauty, and joy that live music brings during the holiday season.”
In collaboration with Music-COMP (Composition Mentoring Program), the VSO showcases new works by emerging Vermont composers to highlight the creativity and talent of young musicians across the state. This year’s program features a world premiere by Sam Acus, a Mount Mansfield Union High School student, multi-instrumentalist, and Music-COMP composer. A lifelong musician headed to Berklee College of Music in Boston next year to study jazz mandolin, Acus explores the topic of climate change and collective hope in his composition.
“My piece, ‘A Warm Winter,’ is about climate change and all the scary stuff going on in the world today — but more than that, it’s about hope. It’s a call to action. I want people to remember that we can fix things if we work together,” said Acus. “I believe deeply in the power of music to change the world and to heal people. This piece helped me process my own emotions about climate change, and I hope it helps others feel and act, too.”
Concerts in southern Vermont will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Grafton Community Church (free admission with advanced registration required; seating limited) and Sunday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 6 p.m. at First Congregational Church in Manchester (free for ages 18 and under, $24 for ages 65+, and $28 for ages 19–64, plus tax/fees). For more information and to reserve tickets, visit vso.org.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.