The Children’s Choir and Beginning String Orchestra started the program.  Adorable, brave children with tiny violins on their shoulders, lifted their bows almost together, and accompanied the dozen tiny vocalists, delivering the first charming, if squeaky, performances of the evening:  “Winter Fright Christmas Delight” and “Twisted Christmas.”   

The Intermediate String Orchestra was co-directed by Marjorie Hartung and Ben Hartung.  They performed the “Skaters Waltz,”  “Glouchestershire Wassail,” and “Farandol,” which was performed with lots of horns and color, which was thrilling.  

The Symphony Orchestra, which performed for the rest of the evening, was superb.  This achievement was accomplished by a team of conductors, each responsible for particular selections.  Marjorie Hartung is the main conductor, with Wayland Whitney and Ben Hartung assisting. 

Wayland Whitney, an outstanding young conductor, took up the baton for the next orchestral selections.  The Symphony Orchestra musicians filled the church with glorious music.  They played “A Christmas Festival” by Leroy Anderson.  They were tight, with many tone colors and quick time changes.  The horns weren’t too loud; the bell ringer was on point; the flutes were light and dancing.  Their build-up to “Oh, Come All Ye Faithful” was paced and rose to heights and power.  Next came Rimsky-Korsakov’s  “Dance of the Tumblers” from Snow Maiden.  In this piece the dynamics were terrific; trumpets flourished, and all musicians followed the conductor in brisk time.  The climax of the set was Vivaldi’s Concerto No. 4 in F minor (“L’inverno”).  Violin soloist, Udi Jonnalagadda, stood at his music stand next to the conductor and elegantly, crisply, and with great finger agility, played Vivaldi’s score from memory.  The music was exquisite.  The bowed bass provided a steady background, the pizzicato of the violins was precise, Wayland Whitney’s baton sensitive and powerful as needed.  The audience applauded and applauded.  Wayland Whitney and Udi Jonnalagadda smiled deservedly proudly as they bowed to the applause. 

Music from the Disney motion picture, Frozen, was performed next, conducted by Ben Hartung, who also had complete skill with the baton, staying in exact time, and bringing out the brass, the oboe, the clarinets, and the ethereal violins to transport the audience to the snowy scenes.  Many string and horn musicians doubled as percussionists as they stomped their feet in the slow march of an army trudging up a mountain in the snow.  The audience was transported to a fantastic land.