Boston Pops, Keith Lockhart, Melinda Doolittle Bring Holiday Traditions To The Northeast

The Boston Pops and conductor Keith Lockhart launch their beloved Holiday five-city concert series throughout the Northeast on December 4 in Storrs, CT, sharing a New England holiday tradition with audiences throughout the region. Mr. Lockhart and "America's Orchestra" will be joined by guest artist Melinda Doolittle, American Idol finalist, and the choral group Gloriae Dei Cantores for the seasonal performances.

HOLIDAY POPS PROGRAM DETAILS
Capturing the magic of the Christmastime season, the Pops will perform their signature Sleigh Ride, the holiday classic Joy to the World, and other Yuletide favorites. A medley of Christmas spirituals will feature American Idol sensation Melinda Doolittle, and the critically acclaimed Gloriae Dei Cantores will join the Pops for inspiring choral renditions of Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and the Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. At each concert a different local personality will narrate a performance of A Visit from St. Nicholas ('Twas the Night Before Christmas), which will be followed by a guest appearance of Santa Claus himself. The entire audience will be invited to join in a traditional Boston Pops holiday sing-along to bring each special performance to a close.
Boston Pops Holiday concerts began in 1974 with a three-concert series at Symphony Hall. Since then, public demand for the performances has grown and this holiday season the Boston Pops will offer 37 concerts at Symphony Hall, in addition to its tour throughout New England.

HOLIDAY POPS PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE IN FIVE NORTHEAST U.S. CITIES
The series begins on Saturday, December 4, at 8pm, in Storrs, CT at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. On Sunday, December 5, at 2pm, the tour stops at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, in Greenvale, NY, and then the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ, for a 7pm performance. On December 18, Keith and the Boston Pops will stop at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH, for a 7:30pm performance, followed by a 2:30pm performance on December 19 at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, MA. These holiday concerts coincide with the Boston Pops' holiday series at Symphony Hall in Boston, which runs from December 8 to 26 this year.

TICKET INFORMATION
December 4 at 8pm, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Storrs, CT
Tickets, priced at $30 to $150, can be purchased at http://jorgensen.uconn.edu/ or by calling 860.486.4226 Monday through Friday from 11am to 5pm.

December 5 at 2pm, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Greenvale, NY
Tickets, priced at $47 to $112, can be purchased at http://www.tillescenter.org/ or by calling 516.299.3100 Monday through Saturday from 1 to 6 pm.

December 5 at 7pm, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
Tickets, priced at $29 to $118, can be purchased at http://njpac.org/ or by calling 888.466.5722 Monday through Saturday from 10am to 6pm, and Sunday from noon to 5pm.

December 18 at 7:30pm, Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH
Tickets, priced at $40 to $124, can be purchased via Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling (800) 745-3000. They can also be purchased by visiting the Verizon Wireless Arena in person Monday through Friday 9:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

December 19 at 2:30pm, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
Tickets, priced at $60 to $126, can be purchased at http://www.lowellauditorium.com/ or by calling 978.454.2299 Monday through Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm.

Melinda Doolittle
Melinda Doolittle, who became a household name on season six of American Idol, has continued to thrill; initially, with her critically acclaimed debut album, "Coming Back to You", and now with the release of her first book, Beyond Me. Melinda truly believes that her own success and personal joy are directly proportional to her investment in encouraging and nurturing others. This theme is at the heart of her new book, Beyond Me, where Melinda shares poignant, often humorous stories, revealing life lessons and giving practical guidance to overcome personal obstacles and achieve the next level in any area of life. "Coming Back to You," which garnered rave reviews from critics, including The New York Times which hailed Melinda as one of the most 'phenomenally gifted' in years, is a torch-passing musical revelation worthy of the R&B immortals - Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner - with Melinda emerging as our most authentic new ambassador of R&B. Its retro-soul feel, live instruments, positive lyrics and powerhouse vocals remind the listener of why they fell in love with music. Raised in St. Louis, MO and Tulsa, OK, Melinda studied music at Belmont University in the storied music citadel of Nashville. She would eventually perfect her craft as a back-up singer for stars such as Michael McDonald and Aaron Neville slowly building the necessary vocal confidence to tackle the challenges that lie ahead. Since her time on Idol and her transition into the spotlight, Melinda has wowed audiences everywhere with her ‘big voice' and ‘soulful' performances, from the White House to the Musicians Hall of Fame, from the Kennedy Center to the Today Show. Only her spirit outshines her musical accomplishments, as she dedicates much of her time to working with numerous charities, especially those that center on improving the lives of children; including the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, Ronald McDonald House and The League, which promotes involvement in community service among children. She also works extensively with Malaria No More, and has traveled to Africa twice, once as a presidential delegate and once with former First Lady Laura Bush, bringing awareness to the preventable disease that takes the lives of over 1 million children under the age of five, every year. For more information on Melinda visit www.MelindaDoolittle.com

GLORIAE DEI CANTORES
Gloriae Dei Cantores (Singers to the Glory of God) holds a passionate dedication to illuminate truth and beauty through choral artistry, celebrating a rich tradition of sacred choral music from Gregorian chant through the twenty-first century. The choir has received extensive critical acclaim for its artistic elegance, performance authenticity, and compelling spirituality. Sharing its vision of inspiration and hope, Gloriæ Dei Cantores has toured extensively, touching the hearts of audiences in 24 countries in Europe, Asia, and North America. Director Elizabeth Patterson has led the choir in a number of world premieres, and appeared on the concert stage and in recordings with Keith Lockhart, John Williams, Samuel Adler, Mark O'Connor, Stephen Cleobury, Vladimir Minin, and the late George Guest, Mary Berry, and Margaret Hillis, among others. Highlights of the choir's career include three invitational tours of Russia, the opening of the 900th anniversary of St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, live broadcasts with the BBC, the soundtrack of Lorenzo's Oil, and performances in some of the finest concert halls throughout Europe. Its discography of 45 recordings is distributed in the United States through Harmonia Mundi. Gloriæ Dei Cantores makes its home on Cape Cod, at the Church of the Transfiguration in Orleans, Massachusetts, where the choir sings weekly worship services.

Keith Lockhart
Keith Lockhart became the twentieth conductor of the Boston Pops in 1995, adding his artistic vision to the Pops tradition established by his predecessors John Williams and Arthur Fiedler. During his 15-year tenure, he has conducted the Boston Pops in more than 1,200 concerts and introduced the innovative JazzFest and EdgeFest series, which feature the Pops performing with some of today's most prominent jazz and indie artists including Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves, Guster, My Morning Jacket, and Natalie Merchant. The 2009 New Year's Eve concert featured special guest Amanda Palmer. Reflecting a passionate commitment to music of the Broadway stage, Mr. Lockhart has led the Boston Pops in collaboration with the Tanglewood Music Center in concert performances of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel and Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music, as well as musical reviews of the works of Sondheim and Bernstein, performed both at Symphony Hall in Boston and at Tanglewood. He has also spearheaded collaborations with students from the Boston Conservatory and Berklee College of Music, and visits music programs in the Boston Public Schools whenever his schedule allows. Mr. Lockhart has been the driving force behind the success of PopSearch and the Boston Pops High School Sing-Off, performing competitions that have offered talented singers throughout Massachusetts and the United States an opportunity to perform with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall and the July 4 concert on Boston's Charles River Esplanade. Under his leadership, the Boston Pops has commissioned several new works, including The Neville Feast by Christoper Rouse, Wish You Were Here by Nico Muhly and The Dream Lives On: A Portrait of the Kennedy Brothers, premiered during the 125th season, as well as dozens of new arrangements. Keith Lockhart has worked with a wide array of artists from virtually every corner of the entertainment world. From Hollywood and Broadway stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Nathan Lane, Martin Short, Mandy Patinkin, and Jason Alexander to popular singers k.d. lang, Barry Manilow, Celine Dion, Elvis Costello, and Patti LaBelle, to jazz and American songbook legends Barbara Cook, Terence Blanchard, Natalie Cole, and Mel Tormé, to classical favorites Dawn Upshaw and Gil Shaham, Keith Lockhart has brought many of the great musicians and entertainers of our day to the Pops stage. He is loved by audiences far and wide for his inimitable style, expressed not only through his consummate music-making, but also by his unique ability to speak directly to the audience about the music for which he feels so passionately committed.

The Boston Pops is on the internet at www.bostonpops.org. For further information, call the Boston Pops at 617-266-1492. All programs and artists are subject to change.

BOSTON POPS 2010 NEW ENGLAND HOLIDAY TOUR ITINERARY

December 4 at 8pm, Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts, Storrs, CT

December 5 at 2pm, Tilles Center for the Performing Arts, Greenvale, NY

December 5 at 7pm, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ

December 18 at 7:30pm, Verizon Wireless Arena, Manchester, NH

December 19 at 2:30pm, Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA

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