Phoenix Symphony Orchestra - Something Special
Saturday, November 30, 2013, was a day like most other’s during the week. It was quiet with little conversation with our client’s and prospective new clients alike. The holidays have most thinking about something other than house hunting. We took advantage of the lull and decided to do something fun and found that the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Choir were having a matinee at the Phoenix Symphony Hall called the Holiday Pops.
The Phoenix orchestra, choir, and featured vocalist entertained us with a medley of Christmas songs. Yes I said Christmas and not holiday songs. If you’re looking for political correctness associated with Christmas at this location, you won’t find it - It’s Christmas!
Stuart Chafetz did the arrangement and wowed us with the results. Lisa Vroman, soprano and Doug Labrecque, tenor were the feature vocalists that helped bring the performance to another level but that in no way takes anything away from the Phoenix choir that brought goose bumps to us with their spectacular performance. Between the orchestra and choir there was over one hundred performers on the stage giving some perspective to the size of the stage itself. Ms. Vroman has too many credits to mention here but the ones that jump out at you were her performances in the Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, and My Fair Lady. She has also sung on separate occasions for Queen Elizabeth, former President Bill Clinton.
Perhaps we thought it was so special because so many of the songs were Christmas nostalgic, such as Silent Night and Joy to the World. They even had a sing-a-long that seemed to be a hit with the audience. Jane out did herself and I told her she should try out for the Phoenix choir.
The sound was good even back in the cheap seats suggesting that the design of Symphony Hall had done their homework in presenting an environment that all could enjoy no matter where your seating location happen to be in reference to the stage.
The only negative part of this entire experience was the available parking. Saturday parking in downtown Phoenix was $12.00 for the performance. The least expensive parking was $10.00 that was several blocks away from the Phoenix Symphony Hall. Between the cost of the tickets and the parking it takes this musical performance out of reach for many people that could enjoy something very special. While I applaud free enterprise, it seems ashame that the cost of this special event is not within the reach of all. Perhaps that’s why there was in my estimation, from 10 to 20 percent of the seats left empty.
We feel privileged that we could attend and enjoy this special performance and wish to share the experience. We’ll be talking to the local high school and give an opportunity to four students by way of submitting an essay, to attend a performance. We only wish that Scottsdale real estate of Luxury Valley Homes could do more in sharing this experience.
Article: Phoenix Symphony Orchestra - Something Special
Written by: R. Jeffery Daley
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