The Windsor Symphony Orchestra in the Holiday Season

 

By Christian Dutchyn

With the holiday season approaching, the Windsor Symphony Orchestra is preparing for their annual series of seasonal concerts.

The holiday season has proven to be a very busy and successful time of the year for the symphony musicians, with an increase in attendance during the holidays. Last year they sold out one of their yearly holiday Pops concerts, filling all 624 seats in the Capitol Theatre. The Windsor Symphony was officially founded in 1947 and has been performing holiday concerts almost since its inception.

The Pops concerts include classic Christmas songs, as well as holiday carols from other faiths. The audience at these events is energized and is welcome to take part in sing-alongs. Santa Claus himself has also shown up at the concerts, handing out candy and leading the audience in song.

Families from all over Windsor-Essex County flock to the Capitol Theatre during the winter to listen to holiday songs performed by the WSO. Performances such as the holiday Pops concerts are designed to be family friendly and as inclusive as possible. Shelley Sharpe, the manager of marketing, communications and sales for the WSO, has been with the symphony since 2002.

“There is a conscious effort that goes into programming the concerts to appeal to a family audience,” said Sharpe.  “We don’t want adults to come and be bored thinking they’re watching a kids show, but at the same time, we want the kids to really enjoy sitting there for two hours and listening to music.”

Although many performances will be family-oriented, other seasonal concerts such as the Messiah are more adult in nature.

In 2012, the WSO took over operation of the Capitol Theatre after being without a permanent home for quite some time. The City of Windsor leased the building to the symphony at a reasonably inexpensive price. Windsor City council has been a strong supporter of the symphony.

“Are they (WSO) really important to the community? Yes. I think anything that would enhance the community’s image… we will support them as well,” said Ward 5 Councilor Ed Sleiman.

There are seven upcoming seasonal concerts being performed by the WSO over the next two months. Ticket prices will vary depending on age and are available on the WSO website at https://mywso.ca/shows.