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Image for HOLIDAY JOY
About the Program

Ramona Abbott, Narrator

December 4, 2021 @ 7:30 PM

December 5, 2021 @ 3:00 PM


It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Eddie Pola & George Wyle, arr. Bob Cerulli

Silver Bells | Jay Livingston & Ray Evans, arr. John Moss

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane, arr. Calvin Custer

A Dickens Christmas Carol Suite | Story by Charles Dickens, arr. by Andrew H. Dabczynski

A Christmas Medley | Trad, arr. Matthew Naughtin 

Chanukah Festival Overture | Trad, arr. Calvin Custer, ed. Sean O'Loughlin

Silent Night | Franz Xaver Gruber, arr. Paul Clark

Auld Lang Syne | Trad, poem by Robert Burns

Winter Wonderland / Let It Snow! | Felix Bernard & Richard Bernhard Smith / Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, arr. Bob Cerulli 

Family fun with holiday classics from around the world make this a joyful celebration!  From Dickens to Auld Lang Syne, we have a range of seasonal favorites for you and your loved ones to enjoy over the holidays. 

Ramona Abbott is our narrator for A Dickens Christmas Carol Suite. Not only is she a local artist, actor, and  improviser, she’s our Marketing & Communications Manager as well. Many of us grew up with some form of A Christmas Carol, and this orchestral version with narration is a very special one.

Members of our orchestra will keep your toes tapping and your memories coming, as well as the kids entertained, in this afternoon of holiday delights. 


There is no pre-concert lecture for this concert.

About the Artist
Concert Players - Holiday Joy

Musicians performing in this concert are in bold.

Music Director

Yaniv Attar (bio)
The Jack & Marybeth Campbell
Music Director 

Violin I

Dawn Posey (bio)
The Garland Richmond & Richard Stattelman Concertmaster

Shu-Hsin Ko
Assistant Concertmaster

Emily Bailey

Laura Barnes

David Bean

Gaye Davis

Joanne Donnellan

Irene Fadden 

Matt Gudakov

Madeline Massey

Yelena Nelson

Sandra Payton

Krissy Snyder

John Tilley

Karen Visser

Bill Watts


Violin II

Yuko Watanabe
The Debbie & Steve Adelstein Principal 2nd Violin

Heather Ray
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin (Acting Principal 2nd Violin)

Audrey Negro
(Acting Assistant Principal 2nd Violin)

Linnea Arntson

Liza Beshara

Judy Diamond

Kathy Diaz

Geneva Faulkner

Ben Morgan

Lenelle Morse

Cecile Pendleton

Carla Rutschman

Tara Kaiyala Weaver

Joy Westermann


Viola

Morgan Schwab 
The Byron & Becky Elmendorf Principal Viola

Elizabeth Stuen-Walker §
(Acting Principal Viola)

Kacey Bradt
(Acting Assistant Principal Viola)

Jo Anne Dudley

Natalie Louia

Valerie McWhorter

Michael Neville

Jim Quist

Corey Welch


Cello

Nick Strobel
The Phyllis Allport Principal Cello

Tallie Jones
The John W. Tilley Jr. Assistant Principal Cello (Acting Principal Cello)

Coral Marchant
(Acting Assistant Principal Cello)

Brian Coyne

Erin Esses Lusk

Noel Evans

Omar Firestone

Jeremy Heaven

Rebekah Hood-Sava

Barb Hunter

Mary Passmore

Bette Ann Schwede

Samantha Sinai

Daniel Watterson


Bass

Mark Tomko
The Charli Daniels Principal Bass

Eirik Haugbro
Assistant Principal Bass (Acting Principal Bass)

Amiko Mantha
(Acting Assistant Principal Bass)

Faye Hong

Anna Jull


Flute

Deborah Arthur
The Marcela Berg & Michael Addison Principal Flute

Gena Mikkelsen 


Piccolo

Gena Mikkelsen
The Carol & Dennis Comeau Piccolo


Oboe

Kristen Fairbank
Co-Principal

Gail Ridenour
The Ridenour Family Co-Principal Oboe

Ken Bronstein


English Horn

Ken Bronstein
The Dick & Sherry Nelson English Horn


Clarinet

Erika Block
The Gordon & Rosalie Nast Principal Clarinet

Emily Prestbo

David Kappele


Bassoon

Phillip Thomas
The Brian and Marya Griffin Principal Bassoon

Jackson Stewart-DeBelly
Assistant Principal Bassoon

Terhi Miikki-Broersma


Horn

Brad Bigelow
The George and Crystal Mills Principal Horn

Jack Champagne

Greg Verbarendse

Kristi Kilgore


Trumpet

Karolyn Labes
The Bill & Leslie McRoberts Principal Trumpet

Del Vande Kerk

Steve Sperry
Assistant Principal/3rd Trumpet


Trombone

Phil Heft
The Wendy Bohlke & Brian Hanson Principal Trombone

Brian Thomson


Bass Trombone

Bob Gray


Tuba

Mark Lindenbaum
The Marty & Gail Haines Principal Tuba


Timpani

Stephanie L. Straight
Principal Timpani


Percussion

Kay Reilly
The Valerie McWhorter & Dean Altschuler Co-Principal Percussion

Melanie Sehman
The Barbara & Michael Ryan Co-Principal Percussion

Jamie Ihler


Harp

Jill Whitman
The Cinda & Stuart Zemel Principal Harp


Keyboard

Andrea Rackl
The Sibyl Sanford Principal Keyboard


§ Substitute

We Thank Our Generous Sponsors!

We are so grateful for our generous sponsors!


Season: Peoples Bank & Bellingham Porsche/Audi

Concert: Bruce Cox Imports

Guest Artist: Elder Law Offices of Meyers, Neubeck & Hulford

 

For a full list of BSO's sponsors, please visit our website sponsor page.

Support the BSO

Giving to the BSO

We appreciate our many contributors and donors! Please click here to see our contributors listing for today's program. Thank you for helping the BSO bring the gift of music to our community during these times. 

Our end-of-year giving campaign has started; you may have already received information in the mail. Your generous support has allowed us to support the work of many soloists, composers, and music professionals, as well as provide so many educational resources to students, parents, and teachers. To support the BSO and give the gift of music, click here.


Here is what local middle school teachers had to say about our contributions: 

"We just wanted to send you a quick email to say THANK YOU for making our music jobs possible this year. 
 
With your support, we were able to purchase a subscription to Music First, which included a program called Soundtrap. Using Soundtrap, students recorded their parts to songs we were working on during class. We were then able to use that same program to put the recordings together into one ensemble.
 
We're all super proud of our students and are incredibly thankful that you helped make this possible! Thank you again for your support!"
 
We are so grateful for your support in helping us provide these resources, even more needed in these times. 
 
If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to be, please click here. (Don't worry. We don't send a lot of mail - just enough to keep you informed.)

We are also participating in the Whatcom Arts Project funding program. This collective fundraiser asks individuals to choose 5 Whatcom County arts organizations and donate $50 to each for a total donation of $250. This show of support, of unity, of love for the entire art community is aptly titled We heART commUNITY. To learn more, click here.

The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is fully tax deductible as provided by law.

 

Engagement Sponsors
Message from our Board President

Welcome to the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra’s 46th Season. I am very excited to be serving as the President of the Board during this time, as we return to making music in person at the beautiful Mount Baker Theatre.

While the global pandemic presented many challenges, the resilience and creativity of our musicians, staff and Board have allowed us to safely move forward this season and resume live performances. The support that we have received from our community during this time made it possible for us to present performances remotely last season, and your ongoing support allows us to continue presenting live performances. Thank you so very much.

We still have a long way to go to get back to pre-pandemic levels of performances and attendance, and I hope we can count on your continued support. Your gift at any level will make a significant impact on our ability to continue to move forward with our plans for the remainder of this season, and to perform for you music that is powerful, beautiful, and inspiring.

 Ken Bronstein

President, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors

Image for HOLIDAY JOY
About the Program

Ramona Abbott, Narrator

December 4, 2021 @ 7:30 PM

December 5, 2021 @ 3:00 PM


It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year | Eddie Pola & George Wyle, arr. Bob Cerulli

Silver Bells | Jay Livingston & Ray Evans, arr. John Moss

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas | Hugh Martin & Ralph Blane, arr. Calvin Custer

A Dickens Christmas Carol Suite | Story by Charles Dickens, arr. by Andrew H. Dabczynski

A Christmas Medley | Trad, arr. Matthew Naughtin 

Chanukah Festival Overture | Trad, arr. Calvin Custer, ed. Sean O'Loughlin

Silent Night | Franz Xaver Gruber, arr. Paul Clark

Auld Lang Syne | Trad, poem by Robert Burns

Winter Wonderland / Let It Snow! | Felix Bernard & Richard Bernhard Smith / Sammy Cahn & Jule Styne, arr. Bob Cerulli 

Family fun with holiday classics from around the world make this a joyful celebration!  From Dickens to Auld Lang Syne, we have a range of seasonal favorites for you and your loved ones to enjoy over the holidays. 

Ramona Abbott is our narrator for A Dickens Christmas Carol Suite. Not only is she a local artist, actor, and  improviser, she’s our Marketing & Communications Manager as well. Many of us grew up with some form of A Christmas Carol, and this orchestral version with narration is a very special one.

Members of our orchestra will keep your toes tapping and your memories coming, as well as the kids entertained, in this afternoon of holiday delights. 


There is no pre-concert lecture for this concert.

About the Artist
Concert Players - Holiday Joy

Musicians performing in this concert are in bold.

Music Director

Yaniv Attar (bio)
The Jack & Marybeth Campbell
Music Director 

Violin I

Dawn Posey (bio)
The Garland Richmond & Richard Stattelman Concertmaster

Shu-Hsin Ko
Assistant Concertmaster

Emily Bailey

Laura Barnes

David Bean

Gaye Davis

Joanne Donnellan

Irene Fadden 

Matt Gudakov

Madeline Massey

Yelena Nelson

Sandra Payton

Krissy Snyder

John Tilley

Karen Visser

Bill Watts


Violin II

Yuko Watanabe
The Debbie & Steve Adelstein Principal 2nd Violin

Heather Ray
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin (Acting Principal 2nd Violin)

Audrey Negro
(Acting Assistant Principal 2nd Violin)

Linnea Arntson

Liza Beshara

Judy Diamond

Kathy Diaz

Geneva Faulkner

Ben Morgan

Lenelle Morse

Cecile Pendleton

Carla Rutschman

Tara Kaiyala Weaver

Joy Westermann


Viola

Morgan Schwab 
The Byron & Becky Elmendorf Principal Viola

Elizabeth Stuen-Walker §
(Acting Principal Viola)

Kacey Bradt
(Acting Assistant Principal Viola)

Jo Anne Dudley

Natalie Louia

Valerie McWhorter

Michael Neville

Jim Quist

Corey Welch


Cello

Nick Strobel
The Phyllis Allport Principal Cello

Tallie Jones
The John W. Tilley Jr. Assistant Principal Cello (Acting Principal Cello)

Coral Marchant
(Acting Assistant Principal Cello)

Brian Coyne

Erin Esses Lusk

Noel Evans

Omar Firestone

Jeremy Heaven

Rebekah Hood-Sava

Barb Hunter

Mary Passmore

Bette Ann Schwede

Samantha Sinai

Daniel Watterson


Bass

Mark Tomko
The Charli Daniels Principal Bass

Eirik Haugbro
Assistant Principal Bass (Acting Principal Bass)

Amiko Mantha
(Acting Assistant Principal Bass)

Faye Hong

Anna Jull


Flute

Deborah Arthur
The Marcela Berg & Michael Addison Principal Flute

Gena Mikkelsen 


Piccolo

Gena Mikkelsen
The Carol & Dennis Comeau Piccolo


Oboe

Kristen Fairbank
Co-Principal

Gail Ridenour
The Ridenour Family Co-Principal Oboe

Ken Bronstein


English Horn

Ken Bronstein
The Dick & Sherry Nelson English Horn


Clarinet

Erika Block
The Gordon & Rosalie Nast Principal Clarinet

Emily Prestbo

David Kappele


Bassoon

Phillip Thomas
The Brian and Marya Griffin Principal Bassoon

Jackson Stewart-DeBelly
Assistant Principal Bassoon

Terhi Miikki-Broersma


Horn

Brad Bigelow
The George and Crystal Mills Principal Horn

Jack Champagne

Greg Verbarendse

Kristi Kilgore


Trumpet

Karolyn Labes
The Bill & Leslie McRoberts Principal Trumpet

Del Vande Kerk

Steve Sperry
Assistant Principal/3rd Trumpet


Trombone

Phil Heft
The Wendy Bohlke & Brian Hanson Principal Trombone

Brian Thomson


Bass Trombone

Bob Gray


Tuba

Mark Lindenbaum
The Marty & Gail Haines Principal Tuba


Timpani

Stephanie L. Straight
Principal Timpani


Percussion

Kay Reilly
The Valerie McWhorter & Dean Altschuler Co-Principal Percussion

Melanie Sehman
The Barbara & Michael Ryan Co-Principal Percussion

Jamie Ihler


Harp

Jill Whitman
The Cinda & Stuart Zemel Principal Harp


Keyboard

Andrea Rackl
The Sibyl Sanford Principal Keyboard


§ Substitute

We Thank Our Generous Sponsors!

We are so grateful for our generous sponsors!


Season: Peoples Bank & Bellingham Porsche/Audi

Concert: Bruce Cox Imports

Guest Artist: Elder Law Offices of Meyers, Neubeck & Hulford

 

For a full list of BSO's sponsors, please visit our website sponsor page.

Support the BSO

Giving to the BSO

We appreciate our many contributors and donors! Please click here to see our contributors listing for today's program. Thank you for helping the BSO bring the gift of music to our community during these times. 

Our end-of-year giving campaign has started; you may have already received information in the mail. Your generous support has allowed us to support the work of many soloists, composers, and music professionals, as well as provide so many educational resources to students, parents, and teachers. To support the BSO and give the gift of music, click here.


Here is what local middle school teachers had to say about our contributions: 

"We just wanted to send you a quick email to say THANK YOU for making our music jobs possible this year. 
 
With your support, we were able to purchase a subscription to Music First, which included a program called Soundtrap. Using Soundtrap, students recorded their parts to songs we were working on during class. We were then able to use that same program to put the recordings together into one ensemble.
 
We're all super proud of our students and are incredibly thankful that you helped make this possible! Thank you again for your support!"
 
We are so grateful for your support in helping us provide these resources, even more needed in these times. 
 
If you are not currently on our mailing list, and would like to be, please click here. (Don't worry. We don't send a lot of mail - just enough to keep you informed.)

We are also participating in the Whatcom Arts Project funding program. This collective fundraiser asks individuals to choose 5 Whatcom County arts organizations and donate $50 to each for a total donation of $250. This show of support, of unity, of love for the entire art community is aptly titled We heART commUNITY. To learn more, click here.

The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is fully tax deductible as provided by law.

 

Engagement Sponsors
Message from our Board President

Welcome to the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra’s 46th Season. I am very excited to be serving as the President of the Board during this time, as we return to making music in person at the beautiful Mount Baker Theatre.

While the global pandemic presented many challenges, the resilience and creativity of our musicians, staff and Board have allowed us to safely move forward this season and resume live performances. The support that we have received from our community during this time made it possible for us to present performances remotely last season, and your ongoing support allows us to continue presenting live performances. Thank you so very much.

We still have a long way to go to get back to pre-pandemic levels of performances and attendance, and I hope we can count on your continued support. Your gift at any level will make a significant impact on our ability to continue to move forward with our plans for the remainder of this season, and to perform for you music that is powerful, beautiful, and inspiring.

 Ken Bronstein

President, Bellingham Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors