The Reindeer Round Up Deemed a Holiday Success

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ~Plato

Listening to live music is one of the most pleasurable experiences because it allows an individual to hear and feel every beat the performing musicians masterfully create with each musical arrangement. It doesn’t matter what kind of music a person listens to; the event of watching live music creates a special excitement and a feeling that transcends the time before the internet, radio or recordings.

Symphony concerts not only accomplish these emotions, but they also have a way of refreshing, energizing and providing that romantic or spiritual element symphony lovers enjoy and expect.

Saturday officially kicked off the Christmas holiday season in San Angelo with the Tree Lighting Ceremony, Santa, the Christmas Light Parade, and the Reindeer Round Up at the McNease Convention Center.

At the Reindeer Round Up, the Symphony Junior Belles and good ol’ jolly Saint Nick greeted symphony lovers with merry cheer. As attendees proceeded to their seats, the ASU String Quartet’s Christmas melodies filled the lobby with holiday spirit.

Just about every seat in the convention center was filled and music director and conductor, Hector Guzman, began the audience’s festive journey with “Hark! The Harald Angels Sing Fanfare” by D. Loverin. The symphony delivered each piece with new rigor and light. The arrangements of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” “Have Yourself and Merry Little Christmas,” “Silver Bells” and “I’ll be Home for Christmas” portrayed the holiday season. Additional favorites included “White Christmas,” featuring a trombone solo by Tony Bianchetta, and “O Holy Night,” including a trumpet solo by John Irish.

The dialogue between the soloist and the symphony heightened the dramatic expressions of the pieces. One of the difficulties Hector Guzman stated he encountered was finding music that people haven’t heard on the radio or in the elevator. The arrangements he found included “Around the World at Christmas Time” and “Christmas at the Movies,” and other world and movie pieces such as Miracle on 34^th Street, The Polar Express, Home Alone, Nightmare Before Christmas and The Grinch. All of these holiday musical pieces were performed during the first half of the Reindeer Round Up.

After intermission, Hector Guzman delivered a piece many audience members requested, which fellow musicians and members of the board named Minor Alteration. The piece included carols performed in the minor key, and Guzman referred to these pieces as “Carols from the Dark Side.” This arrangement included: “Up on the Roof,” “Santa Clause is Coming to Town,” “Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick,” “Here Come Santa Clause,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Silver Bells,” “Chim Chim Cheree” from Merry Popins, “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Do you know what I know” and Trepak the Russian Bands from the Nutcracker. The arrangement marked the climax of the evening and was delivered with vibrant and dark twisted sounds that left a lasting impression.

This vibrant arrangement concluded the symphonic portion of the evening, and then came Case Hardin and the Day Money Band who brought a diversity of style from the works that were just heard. Hardin began with two of his original pieces, “Deep Blue Me” and “Texas Rain.” The Symphony joined in when Hardin began the widely known Christmas hits “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” “Christmas Sing-Along” and “Sleigh Ride”.

Combining the country singer and his band with the San Angelo Symphony displayed certain limitations, but also created interesting effects within the Christmas carols. Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick concluded the performance with his presence as he strolled the isles around the Convention Center. He stopped to wish as many people a Merry Christmas and listened to the children’s stories and wishes for this coming Christmas.

People of all ages attended and enjoyed The Reindeer Round Up, including the the Downs family, who recently relocated to the San Angelo area. They said they heard the positive rumors of the Symphony and decided to buy season tickets based on what they heard. Mr. and Mrs. Downs brought their three sons to the Round Up and left no less than impressed and in great spirits. They said they were impressed with the delivery of the pieces, especially “Silent Night,” Mrs. Downs favorite of the night. Mr. Downs said he was particularly thrilled to see and hear Case Hardin, which he felt provided a great welcome-back-to-Texas feeling. The Downs added that they started the Christmas season in San Angelo with a bang by attending Christmas at Old Fort Concho, the parade and the Reindeer Round Up events.

Overall, attendees, including the Downs family, considered the Reindeer Round Up a success, not only in the faithful rendering of the performance, but as well as bringing forth the Christmas spirit.