A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION at Adelaide Festival Centre featuring Johanna Allen, Mitchell Butel, The Idea of North and your ADELAIDE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Adelaide Festival Centre present  A Christmas Celebration, featuring Johanna Allen, Mitchell Butel, The Idea of North and your Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, bringing you “tidings of comfort and joy”from 10-12 December in the Festival Theatre.

Conductor Luke Dollman will lead the Orchestra and their special guests through traditional and contemporary festive repertoire.

Christmas Celebrations around the world are as diverse and unique as the countries that celebrate the occasion, but the one thing they all have in common is they bring people together.

ASO Managing Director Vincent Ciccarello says,“Music brings people together and what better time to come together, reflect and celebrate our strength and resilience as a community than this Christmas? This joint presentation with the Adelaide Festival Centre will give you reason to celebrate and put you in a festive mood”.

A Christmas Celebration will be hosted by nationally-renowned actor, director and singer, and current Artistic Director of State Theatre Company, Mitchell Butel. Butel has spent 27 years building a reputation as one of Australia’s most talented artists; he holds four Helpmann Awards, three Sydney Theatre Awards and two Green Room Awards for his work as a performer and a director over the last three decades. Mitchell believes South Australians, now more than ever before, need a night to come together and celebrate the Christmas season. He says “I’m thrilled to be on board for this wonderful celebration of the Christmas season, the magnificent Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and all Adelaide-ians who have endured such a tricky year. And to sing alongside Johanna Allen and The Idea of North is my idea of heaven – they’re all angels we have heard on high.” 

Adelaide’s own Green Room Award Winner, Johanna Allen, is one of Australia’s most versatile singers and actors. Johanna can’t wait to celebrate Christmas in her own home town on the Festival Theatre stage. She says, “There is something magical when you combine Christmas carols with lush orchestrations. It’s time to celebrate and introduce your family and friends to the joy of an ASO concert this Christmas. We invite you to share the true meaning of the season: celebrating family, love, peace, goodwill, happiness and, above all, the joy of music.”

Joining Mitchell and Johanna will be  Australia’s leading a cappella vocal quartet and ARIA Award winners The Idea of North They will bring a magical touch, cool groove and sophisticated harmonies to an uplifting collection of Christmas favourites.

The concert will feature a selection of Christmas Classics, including Sleigh Ride, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and a very special performance by Adelaide Youth Orchestra Percussionist Freddy Ramly Peck as he takes to the stage performing Carol of the Drum (Little Drummer Boy). Another special element will be when 12 year old Mietta Brookman takes to the stage performing  the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker Suite. Mietta is excited to be dancing the enchanting melody and says, “I love performing the Sugar Plum Fairy in the Christmas holidays as it feels extra special. I also really like the use of texture in Tchaikovsky’s music. He really conveys the delicate nature of a fairy.”

Gather together with family and friends for this special concert: A Christmas Celebration on Thursday 10, Friday 11 December, 6.30pm and Saturday 12 Dec, 2pm & 6:30pm, Festival Theatre.

Concert Repertoire:

Hurt A Welcome To Christmas
Leroy Anderson Sleigh Ride
Martin Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (The Idea of North)
Hairston Mary’s Boy Child (The Idea of North)
Trad I Saw Three Ships (The Idea of North a cappella)
Davis Carol of the Drum (the Little Drummer Boy)
Joni Mitchell River (The Idea of North)
Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker

Tickets on sale Wednesday 11 November – to secure your seat visit www.aso.com.au.

Adelaide Festival Centre CEO and Artistic Director Douglas Gautier AM says:

“It’s fantastic to be able to continue Adelaide Festival Centre’s long-standing tradition of holding Christmas concerts annually, especially after such a trying year. We have been working closely with local arts organisations to bring back live entertainment and keep our community connected through live music, celebrating this holiday period and Adelaide’s important standing as a UNESCO City of Music. To ensure patrons feel comfortable and safe returning to our venues, we have implemented several safety measures including physical distancing, hand sanitising stations, and frequent cleaning.”

All events at Adelaide Festival Centre venues are being held in accordance with SA Health direction and the South Australian Roadmap for Easing Covid-19 Restrictions. The Adelaide Festival Centre website offers Event Guidelines https://www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/your-visit/novel-coronavirus-covid-19-update/ in response to the most current information. Attendees will be seated in a checkerboard format, meaning patrons will have at least one empty seat between them and the next person. This concert will not include an interval.

COME CREATE A SPACE FOR MUSIC The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is for all South Australians.

ASO believes everyone should have the chance to experience orchestral music. We aim to reach as many people as possible each year through a diverse program across many genres and formats, and perform at venues right across the State and beyond.

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is South Australia’s largest performing arts organisation. Established in 1936, it has been bringing music into the lives of South Australians for 84 years. As well as presenting orchestral concerts, the ASO’s focus is on nurturing our future musicians and audiences through concerts, education and community programs. ASO aims to inspire, challenge, educate and entertain.

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Cheree McEwin, Publicist Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
08 8233 6205 / 0416 181 679 / mcewinc@aso.com.au