“There’s no place like home for the holidays,” says the old Harold Arlen song.
And there’s no place like The Palace Theatre for Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s annual “Home for the Holidays” concert.
After going virtual for the 2020 performance, the orchestra will be back on stage at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 18 for its popular program of carols and seasonal standards, such as “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Silver Bells” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”
“That’s one of the hallmarks of a great holiday program — that it has all the familiar songs that audiences love and expect to hear,” said WSO artistic director Daniel Meyer, who will conduct. “We’re just excited to get the cast back together.”
As usual, the concert will include an audience sing-along plus performances by the All-Star Choir of Westmoreland County and Pittsburgh Opera resident artist Andrew Turner.
The choir comprises students from county high schools, this year under the direction of David Emanuelson, vocal music director at Hempfield Area Senior High School.
“I was thrilled to be asked to play a part in this incredible Westmoreland County tradition,” Emanuelson said. “I graduated from Seton Hill University in 2014 and had so many fond memories of attending WSO concerts that, when the symphony reached out, it was an easy decision.
“The choir may look a little different this year due to the pandemic, but we are all just excited to be back to performing live music again, especially at this time of the year.”
A native of Tacoma, Wash., Turner is in his first year with Pittsburgh Opera.
Before arriving in Pittsburgh, he completed two seasons as an apprentice artist with Des Moines (Iowa) Metro Opera, where he made his debut in 2019 as Parpignol in Puccini’s “La Boheme.”
“This will be my first time working with him, so this is his debut with the orchestra and with me,” Meyer said.
Turner’s voice will be heard in numbers including the concert finale of the “Hallelujah” chorus from Handel’s “Messiah,” during which the audience traditionally rises to its feet.
“This concert is so important to so many people, and it is for us, too,” Meyer said. “We’re thrilled to be back. We didn’t realize how much we would miss it until we didn’t have it.”
Tickets for “Home for the Holidays” are $18-$63.
Patrons are required to wear masks in the theater and to pass through the theater’s screening process, which includes a bag check and metal detectors.
For tickets and more information, call 724-837-1850 or visit westmorelandsymphony .org.
