Cheri A. Emahier
Secure your seat now and look forward to a wonderful afternoon of festive cheer at DesertView Performing Arts Center. A fantastic way to get into the holiday spirit and to ensure your enjoyment is to buy tickets to the SaddleBrooke Singers’ “Hollywood Hollydays” concert. You absolutely don’t want to miss this show. And it’s a bargain. Tickets are only $25 for the Sunday, Dec. 8 performance at 4 p.m.
Music from Christmas Films
These past weeks the Singers have enjoyed turning the pages and rehearsing all the music we are scheduled to perform on a December Sunday afternoon. I am so excited about the program our terrific director, Tanya Elias, has put together, and I truly believe you will enjoy hearing her fabulous selection of inspirational Christmas songs from films. We will perform tunes from the “Holiday Inn,” “The Polar Express,” “Home Alone,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and many of your favorite animated Christmas specials.
Our Pianist, Sly Slipetsky
Not only will you hear Pete Schnittman on bass and Jason Noffsinger on percussion, you have the opportunity to hear Tucson’s jazz great, Sly Slipetsky. The SaddleBrooke Singers are more than grateful to have Sly as our accompanist. We have learned during our rehearsals and concerts that his expertise on the keyboard is frankly astounding. I personally marvel at his ability to effortlessly switch from a rocking ragtime beat in the tune “Heat Miser” from “The Grinch” to the dexterous intricacies of classical music from Handle’s “Messiah.” I imagine you, like me, will find Sly’s exceptional accompaniment to “The Hallelujah Chorus” simply thrilling.
Sly reveals more of his mastery of the piano when he plays our director’s repertoire selection of “Joy to the World” containing gorgeous arpeggios. The music requires Sly to play the notes in the chords in sequence, one after the other, rather than simultaneously. This musical technique creates a flowing, melodic sound and comes from the Italian word “arpeggiare,’ which means “to play on a harp,” reflecting the way harpists pluck individual strings in succession. With Sly’s magical touch the keyboard sounds much like a harp in this glorious piece of music, written in 1719 by the English minister and hymnist Isaac Watts. Do plan on attending so you may feel the joy of Christmas as Sly, and our other talented musicians along with our combined voices fill the theater with song.
Call With Your Questions
Questions? Call Claudia Kistler at 520-306-2113 and check out our website at saddlebrookesingers.org. Buy tickets at DesertView Performing Arts Center—dvpac.net. We look forward to seeing you in the audience!