Holly Jolly Holiday
IT'S THE BEST TIME OF THE YEAR!
One of the highlights of this “fun, bright and colorful concert” is a new piece exploring the mysterious lore of Icelandic Julelads and Nordic Ogres. Experience anew the haunting imagery of Silent Night. Beautiful strains of Ave Maria. Pulsating rhythms of Little Drummer Boy. The mighty Watjen Concert Organ. Over-the-top antics by the incomparable Captain Smartypants. A classical respite by Ædonis. Did we mention 220 of Santa’s elves onstage? In essence, the Seattle Men’s Chorus at its finest.
Benaroya Hall
* with special guest, Ann Wilson
Estimated running time:
2 hours; 15 minutes (1 intermission)
Concert Sponsors
Holland America †
Additional Sponsors
U.S. Bancorp Foundation
† Sponsor of December 5 Concert
New work by Kelly Crandell for Holly Jolly Holiday made possible by the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
Concert Feedback
Please complete our feedback form
About Our Special Guest
Ann Wilson
Singer/Songwriter
Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson were the creative spark behind Heart, a hard rock group who initially found success in the mid-'70s, only to reach greater heights after engineering a major comeback a decade later. The daughters of a Marine Corps captain, Ann (born June 19, 1950) and Nancy (born March 16, 1954) grew up in both Southern California and Taiwan before the Wilson family settled in Seattle, WA. Throughout their formative years, both were interested in folk and pop music; while Ann never took any formal music lessons as a child (she later learned to play several instruments), Nancy took up guitar and flute. After both sisters spent some time at college, they decided to try their hand as professional musicians, and while Nancy began performing as a folksinger, Ann joined the all-male vocal group Heart. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Heart was actually formed in 1963 by bassist Steve Fossen and brothers Roger Fisher and Mike Fisher; initially dubbed The Army, they later became White Heart before settling on simply Heart at the beginning of the '70s. After her arrival in the group, Ann became romantically involved with guitarist Mike Fisher; when Nancy joined in 1974, she in turn began a relationship with guitarist Roger Fisher. Soon after Nancy's arrival, Mike Fisher retired from active performing to become the band's sound engineer. After gaining a following in Vancouver, Heart was approached by Shelly Siegel, the owner of the Canadian label Mushroom; augmented by keyboardist Howard Leese and drummer Michael Derosier, they recorded their debut album, Dreamboat Annie, in 1975. Heart is one of the most successful female fronted bands in the annals of hard rock. The band had a sound heavily influenced by Led Zeppelin with elements of folk-rock and power ballads. Heart has had numerous multi-platinum albums, nine U.S. top ten singles and worldwide career sales of more than 20 million records. Learn More About Ann Wilson »
