With two concerts under his belt as the new Music Director-Conductor, Fouad Fakhouri will lead the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra on December 16th in a special holiday concert with internationally-renowned guest artists Canadian Brass. While last month’s concert celebrated the dedication of our men and women in the armed services, this month’s concert celebrates the season with favorites such as “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” and “Ding Dong Merrily on High.”
According to Wayne Bennett, WFSO violinist and Music Librarian, the Grammy Award-winning Canadian Brass “has changed the way brass quintet music is played. Before, it was always five guys in tuxedos sitting in a semicircle playing classical music with no audience interaction. The Canadian Brass play more current music, walk around stage wearing their white tennis shoes, and have lots of interaction with the audience, all while playing very difficult music at an amazing level.” Along with the Christmas classics mentioned above, concert-goers will also be entertained with songs like “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” “Penny Lane,” and “Beale Street Blues.”
To date, the ensemble has produced over 130 albums, including seasonal favorites such as Christmas Time is Here, A Very Merry Christmas, and A Holiday Tradition. Also good listening during the holidays are The Canadian Brass Go for Baroque and Canadian Brass: English Renaissance Music.
The quintet, which will celebrate fifty years as an ensemble in 2020, has toured widely throughout the US and Canada, as well as in Japan, Europe, and the Middle East. Today, Canadian Brass’s roster includes founder Chuck Daellenbach (tuba), Caleb Hudson and Christopher Coletti (trumpets), Achilles Liarmakopoulos (trombone), and Bernhard Scully (horn).
Prior to joining the WFSO on the 16th, they will be performing at venues in Kansas City, Milwaukee, and Houston, to name a few of their early December concerts. It is truly a privilege to have them in Wichita Falls this year. “They are tremendous musicians and very entertaining,” says Bennett, a brass musician himself. “This is a must see program!”
Not only will the concert be a treat for audience members and the orchestra alike, it will also be the first time Maestro Fakhouri has collaborated with the quintet. Fakhouri had this to say about the concert: “I am extremely excited to perform with such a fantastically gifted and talented group of musicians. I have been a great fan of their work for a very long time. This concert performance, without a doubt, is bound to get our audience in the spirit of the holiday season.”
To round out the concert season, the WFSO will be joined by pianist Martin Camacho on February 24th for a performance of Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor. On April 4th, the WFSO brings Pixar in Concert to Texoma, a multi-media family-friendly concert featuring video from all of the Pixar films.
To learn more about the remainder of the WFSO’s season, you can visit wfso.org or follow them on Facebook (Wichita Falls Symphony), Twitter (@WFSO), Instagram (wf_so), or Snapchat (wfsymphony). You can also check out the Canadian Brass at canadian.brass.com, as well as on Facebook, Twitter (@CanadianBrass), Instagram (@candianbrass), and YouTube.
-Dr. Todd Giles
photos: Bo Huang
