THE BOSTON POPS ON TOUR
KEITH LOCKHART, Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor
JOHN WILLIAMS, George and Roberta Berry Boston Pops Conductor Laureate
KEITH LOCKHART conducting with The Metropolitan Chorale, Lisa Graham, Music Director
2024 HOLIDAY TOUR
A Christmas Prelude: Angels from the Realms of Glory arr./orch. Cumberland
Fete de Campagne: Pat-a-Pan/Farandole de La Monnoye arr. Kay; Bizet
What Sweeter Music? Rutter
The Adoration of the Magi, from Three Botticelli Pictures Respighi Illuminations of Chanukah Hyken
Carol of the Brown King Coleman—arr./orch. Elliott Boston Pops commission; world premiere | Images by Ashley Bryan
Let There Be Peace on Earth Jackson-Miller/Miller—arr. Perito
INTERMISSION
The Twelve Days of Christmas arr. Chase
Carol of the Bells Leontovych/Wilhousky—arr. Smith Lisa Graham conducting
Sleigh Ride Anderson
Home for the Holidays Medley arr. Chase
A Visit from St. Nicholas (’Twas the Night Before Christmas) Reisman Text by Clement C. Moore | Artwork by Jan Brett
John Little, Narrator
All I Want for Christmas Is You Carey/Afanasieff—arr. Chase
A Merry Little Sing-Along arr. Reisman
Steve Colby, Sound Designer | Pam Smith, Lighting Designer Susan Dangel and Dick Bartlett, Visual Media Designers
The Boston Pops Orchestra may be heard on Boston Pops Recordings, RCA Victor, Sony Classical and Philips Records.
Keith Lockhart is the second longest-tenured conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra since its founding in 1885. He took over as conductor in 1995, following John Williams’s thirteen-year tenure from 1980 to 1993. Keith Lockhart, who occupies the Julian and Eunice Cohen Boston Pops Conductor chair, has conducted more than 2,000 Boston Pops concerts and annual Boston Pops appearances at Tanglewood, as well as 45 national tours and five international tours to Japan and Korea. The annual Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular conducted by Mr. Lockhart draws a live audience of over half a million to the Charles River Esplanade and millions more who view it on television or live webcast. He has led eight albums on RCA Victor/BMG Classics; recent releases on Boston Pops Recordings include A Boston Pops Christmas–Live from Symphony Hall, The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, and Lights, Camera…Music! Six Decades of John Williams. The list of nearly 300 guest artists with whom Keith Lockhart has collaborated represents performers from virtually every corner of the entertainment world. Following his eight-year tenure as principal conductor, he is now chief guest conductor of the BBC Concert Orchestra in London; he is also artistic director of the Brevard Music Center summer institute and festival in North Carolina. Prior to his BBC appointment, he spent eleven years as music director of the Utah Symphony. He has appeared as a guest conductor with virtually every major symphonic ensemble in North America and many in Asia and Europe. Before coming to Boston, he was the associate conductor of both the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops orchestras, as well as music director of the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra. For more on Keith Lockhart visit www.bso.org/keith-lockhart or bostonpops.org
The Boston Pops
Led by conductor Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops, known affectionately as “America’s Orchestra,” performs an exciting and eclectic mix of orchestral arrangements from a wide range of traditions including Broadway and the great American songbook, film music, classical, jazz, pop, country, folk, and, of course, holiday classics. The Pops was created in 1885 as the “light classical” summer-season venture of the Boston Symphony. The Boston Pops Orchestra reached its current iconic status during the 50-year tenure of the legendary Arthur Fiedler, who was succeeded in 1980 by the equally renowned film composer John Williams. Keith Lockhart took the helm in 1995 and recently celebrated his 25th anniversary season. It was Fiedler who started the tradition of Pops performances on the Charles River Esplanade, including the annual Fourth of July celebration, brought the Pops to television with Evening at Pops (1970-2004), and initiated Holiday Pops, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2023. Fiedler welcomed to our stages dynamic, world-class guest artists including Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Julia Child and Bob Hope. That tradition continues today with Keith Lockhart working with such stars as Brian Stokes Mitchell, The B-52s, Chaka Khan, Nick Jonas and Rhiannon Giddens. Through it all the orchestra has remained of the most recorded, familiar and beloved ensembles in the world today.
The Metropolitan Chorale
Founded in 1979, The Metropolitan Chorale (metropolitanchorale.org) is an auditioned chorus that is recognized as one of metropolitan Boston’s premier
choral ensembles. Since 2004 the ensemble has been under the direction of Dr. Lisa Graham, 2021 winner of the American Prize Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting. Metropolitan Chorale concerts explore works by many of today’s leading American and British composers, as well as major choral masterworks. In addition to performances at All Saints Parish (Brookline, Massachusetts), the Chorale has been heard throughout the Boston area. Its Artists in Residence program enables the chorus to work with young professional singers.
Under the leadership of Lisa Graham, The Metropolitan Chorale’s membership has grown to encompass 100 members who hail from communities throughout greater Boston. Dr. Graham has expanded the ensemble’s repertory and has enhanced the reputation and reach of the Chorale. Also the Evelyn Barry Director of Choral Programs at Wellesley College, she conducts the Wellesley College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Scholars and teaches academic courses. Active in the Boston musical scene and as a clinician and festival adjudicator, Dr. Graham prepared a vocal ensemble for this season’s Holiday Pops Kids’ Matinee and sensory-friendly concerts at Symphony Hall.
John Little (narrator) graduated from the Yale School of Drama in 1984 and has performed in National and International Tours, Regional Theatres and Off-Broadway. He has recently narrated a series of Westerns for Recorded Books (Audible) and many books for the Library of Congress. He is back in Worcester returning to the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge for a third year in Troy Siebels’ A Christmas Carol, on this very stage December 15-22!
Our debut album, Holidays at The Hanover Theatre Volume 1, is a curated collection of twelve seasonal classics mixed and mastered by Nick Joyce with music direction by Steve Gagliastro.
From Vivaldi to traditional African American Spiritual, the selection of holiday repertoire features a wide range of sounds from the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ to violin, piano, choir vocals and rich brass instruments.
Purchase your copy today!
Scan to purchase!
Holidays at The Hanover Theatre is a delight! The song selection and performances are fabulous. WICN's hosts and listeners alike raved about it. David Ginsburg, program director WICN 90.5 FM
A MERRY LITTLE SING-ALONG
arr. Reisman
RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER
Words and music by Johnny Marks
Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, Had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, You would even say it glows.
All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph Join in any reindeer games.
Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say: “Rudolph, with your nose so bright, Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”
Then how the reindeer loved him, As they shouted out with glee: “Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, You’ll go down in history!”
HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS
Words and music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane
Have yourself a merry little Christmas, let your heart be light; From now on, our troubles will be out of sight. Have yourself a merry little Christmas, make the Yuletide gay; From now on, our troubles will be miles away.
Here we are as in olden days, Happy golden days of yore. Faithful friends who are dear to us Gather near to us once more.
Through the years we all will be together, if the Fates allow; Hang a shining star upon the highest bough, And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.
LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW! LET IT SNOW!
Words by Sammy Cahn
Music by Jule Styne
Oh! the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful, And since we’ve no place to go, Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow! It doesn’t show signs of stopping, And I brought some corn for popping; The lights are turned ’way down low. Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
When we finally kiss goodnight, How I’ll hate going out in the storm! But if you’ll really hold me tight, All the way home I’ll be warm.
The fire is slowly dying, And my dear, we’re still good-bye-ing. But as long as you love me so, Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
THE CHRISTMAS SONG
Words and music by Mel Tormé and Robert Wells
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping at your nose, Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, And folks dressed up like Eskimos.
Ev’rybody knows a turkey and some mistletoe
Help to make the season bright. Tiny tots with their eyes all a-glow Will find it hard to sleep tonight.
They know that Santa’s on his way, He’s loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh.
And ev’ry mother’s child is gonna spy To see if reindeer really know how to fly.
And so I’m offering this simple phrase To kids from one to ninety-two, Al-tho’ it’s been said many times, many ways: Merry Christmas to you.
A MERRY LITTLE SING-ALONG
arr. Reisman
WINTER WONDERLAND
Words by Dick Smith
Music by Felix Bernard
Sleigh-bells ring, are you list’nin’?
In the lane, snow is glist’nin’. A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight, Walkin’ in a winter wonderland!
Gone away is the blue-bird, Here to stay is a new bird. He sings a love song, as we go along, Walkin’ in a winter wonderland!
In the meadow we can build a snowman, Then pretend that he is Parson Brown: He’ll say, “Are you married?” We’ll say, “No, man! But you can do the job when you’re in town”
Later on, we’ll conspire, As we dream by the fire, To face unafraid, the plans that we made, Walkin’ in a winter wonderland!
JINGLE BELLS
Words and music by J. S. Pierpont
Dashing thro’ the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, O’er the fields we go, laughing all the way; Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright; What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleigh-ing song to-night.—Oh!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh-eigh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way!
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one-horse open sleigh.
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a one—horse o—pen sleigh!
THEATRE ETIQUETTE
The following suggestions are based on comments from our patrons. We hope that you take these into consideration so that everyone may enjoy the show in comfort without distractions or interruptions.
• Please silence all cell phones and pagers.
• Please refrain from talking during the performance.
• Please refrain from taking any photos or videos of the performance, these acts are prohibited in our general policies.
• Please remove your hat so that patrons behind you can see.
• Please limit heavy perfumes or colognes; others around you may be allergic.
• If you must leave your seat during a performance, please do so as quietly as possible.
• Please be kind and stay until after the cast bows. The performers work extremely hard to give the public an enjoyable show. It would be greatly appreciated if you share your enthusiasm.
• If any problem should arise and you would like to speak with a theatre representative, please ask your usher for immediate assistance or see a House Manager in the main lobby.
