Anglo Christmas in Waukesha

Conductor Alexander Platt stepped out onto the stage and cued an unannounced merry little fugue based on the classic Christmas carol, “Deck the Halls.” Hershey Kay’s arrangement got the audience smiling from the start.

This opened the Wisconsin Philharmonic’s holiday concert, A Royal Christmas, Tuesday evening (Dec. 4) at Carroll University’s Shattuck Auditorium. The program adhered with the Philharmonic’s 65th anniversary “British Invasion” theme. The eclectic mix of music included English holiday classics, such as “In the Bleak Midwinter” and “I Saw Three Ships” and selections from Handel’s Messiah.

Platt did not devote the entire program to Christmas. The orchestra played Michael Tippett’s Suite for the Birthday of Prince Charles, commissioned in 1948 by the BBC. The third of its five segments featured some light and lively brass to evoke thoughts of Prince Charles playing with toy soldiers. The fifth started out with a full symphonic sound, followed by mellow melodies and a bold flourish.

But back to the holidays. Ralph Vaughn William’s Fantasia on Greensleeves provided opportunity for Kari Gardner on harp and Scott Metlicka on flute to play an excellent, soothing intro to the final part. Two versions of “Sleigh Ride,” by Frederick Delius, followed. (That English composer, by the way, spent time in Florida and soaked up African-American melodies he heard there; Edvard Grieg and Richard Wagner also influenced him.) The first included a wonderful piccolo solo by Joanna Messer and the second a beautiful French horn solo by Kelly Hoffman.

The set concluded with heart-warming medleys from My Fair Lady and Titanic. The My Fair Lady connection comes from the memories of earlier technology when, on Christmas night, the family would sit around the TV set watching great movies together. Titanic notes the centennial year of the sinking of the British passenger ship. One could feel the rushing water surrounding the boat. Flutist Scott Metlicka and percussionist Michael (“Ding”) Lorenz  were given nods for their contributions.

The Concert Choirs of Waukesha North and Waukesha West High Schools joined the Philharmonic to open the second half and assist with the annual holiday sing-a-long, a great way to get the audience to feel part of the whole festive evening. The choirs sang their own pieces with great uniformity and enunciation, especially in “Lift Up Your Heads,” one of three selections from Messiah, along with “And the Glory of the Lord” and “Hallelujah Chorus.” They also sang “Mary’s Lullaby” and “Star Carol,” by noted English choral composer John Rutter. The concert concluded with all the musicians on stage singing and playing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

Platt ended with a note of good cheer, commenting that he is having way too much fun with this gem of an orchestra. Tuesday night, he wasn’t the only one.

Next up for the Wisconsin Philharmonic: English Elegance, on March 10.

Don’t miss anything. Consult Danielle McClune’s TCD On Stage column each Tuesday for the week’s arts events, and bookmark Matthew Reddin’s 2012-13 TCD Season Guide for the big picture.