VSO spreads holiday cheer with Brass Quintet and Counterpoint Chorus Tour

The Vermont Symphony Orchestra invites audiences across the state to celebrate the holiday season with its beloved annual Brass Quintet and Counterpoint Chorus holiday concert tour, visiting Warren, Newport, Grafton and Manchester Dec. 11 through 14.

Conducted by Nathaniel G. Lew, this cherished VSO tradition brings together festive brass and choral music in a joyful program featuring traditional carols, contemporary works, and a world premiere by a Vermont high school composer.

This year’s performances include timeless carols such as Silent Night, Deck the Halls  and The First Nowell, and a focus on compositions by Vermont composer Erik Nielsen alongside works of Moses Hogan for chorus, and Tylman Susato and Anne McGinty for brass.

“The Brass Quintet and Counterpoint Chorus tour remains one of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra’s beloved and enduring holiday traditions,” said Elise Brunelle, Executive Director of the VSO. “Each year, this program unites Vermonters across communities and generations, inviting them to share in the warmth, beauty, and joy that live music brings during the holiday season.”

In collaboration with Music-COMP, the VSO showcases new works by emerging Vermont composers to highlight the creativity and talent of young musicians across the state. This year’s program features a world premiere by Sam Acus, a Mount Mansfield Union High School student, multi-instrumentalist, and Music-COMP composer. A lifelong musician headed to Berklee College of Music next year to study jazz mandolin, Acus explores the topic of climate change and collective hope in his composition.

“My piece A Warm Winter is about climate change and all the scary stuff going on in the world today — but more than that, it’s about hope. It’s a call to action. I want people to remember that we can fix things if we work together,” said Acus. “I believe deeply in the power of music to change the world and to heal people. This piece helped me process my own emotions about climate change, and I hope it helps others feel and act, too.”

Guest vocalists from St. Johnsbury-based Halcyon Chorale join the concert in Newport on Friday, Dec. 12, and Burr & Burton Academy’s student singers take part in the concert in Manchester on Sunday Dec. 14.

Performance Schedule

• Thursday, Dec. 11 from 7-9 p.m. at Warren United Church, Warren. Free admission with advance registration required; seating limited.  For more information and to reserve tickets click here.
• Friday, Dec. 12 from 7-9 p.m. at United Church of Newport, Newport. Free for ages 18 and under; $24 for ages 65+; $28 for ages 19-65 (plus tax/fees.) For more information and to reserve tickets click here.
• Saturday, Dec. 13 from 5-7 p.m. at Grafton Community Church, Grafton. Free admission with advanced registration required; seating limited. For more information and to reserve tickets click here.
• Sunday, Dec. 14 from 4-6 p.m. at First Congregational Church, Manchester. Free for ages 18 and under; $24 for ages 65+; $28 for ages 19-64 (plus tax/fees)  For more information and to reserve tickets click here.