By Andrew Poretz . . .
The New York Pops, under the direction of Maestro Steven Reineke, presented its annual holiday concert on December 19 and 20 at Carnegie Hall. Performed before a full house, the program featured guest artist Megan Hilty and the Essential Voices USA chorus, directed by Judith Clurman.
Entitled A Place Called Home, the concert offered a wide range of holiday music, from traditional favorites to modern film songs. The approximately 70-member chorus stood behind the 78-piece Pops orchestra on the massive Ronald O. Perelman Stage. Above them hung a giant wreath that would play a role later in the evening.
When the orchestra and chorus launched into the opening number, “Deck the Halls,” this writer felt an immediate sense of warmth and peace the moment the harp entered. It was impossible not to smile.
That feel-good spirit continued with Jerry Herman’s “We Need a Little Christmas,” featuring an attractive vocal arrangement and clever countermelodies woven from other familiar carols.
Reineke then introduced Broadway and cabaret star Megan Hilty. Dressed in a striking red gown with a full-length cape and sparkling shoulder accents, her long blonde hair perfectly framed as she filled the hall with a powerful, confident voice. She delivered a festive medley of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” (Edward Pola/George Wyle) with “The Christmas Waltz” (Jule Styne/Sammy Cahn).
Frank DeVol’s swinging arrangement of “Winter Wonderland” (Felix Bernard/Richard B. Smith) had a distinctly Nelson Riddle-esque feel. A terrific rendition of “The Christmas Song” (Bob Wells/Mel Tormé) began with triangle and harp, opening with a slow, bluesy rubato piano accompaniment before evolving into a full swinger. Adam Podd’s arrangement nodded to Billy May with sliding horns, while a guitar solo in the final section referenced the famous Nat King Cole version. A surprising lyric update replaced “Eskimos” with “winter clothes,” and Hilty added a “happy holidays” in the coda.
The orchestra was then featured in Mykola Leontovych’s “Carol of the Bells,” which Reineke has programmed for the past four years in solidarity with Ukraine. The evocative arrangement emphasized the work’s Eastern European roots, conjuring images of a harsh winter landscape. “Santa’s Epic Ride” (Benny Oschmann) made its New York Pops debut, a cinematic piece that felt as if it could underscore a Star Wars sequence.
The chorus returned for a beautiful rendition of “The First Noel,” featuring pianist Lee Musiker and principal cellist David Heiss. Reineke followed with a quip — Why do Jews write all the best Christmas songs?” — before welcoming Hilty back for an Irving Berlin medley from White Christmas. “Snow” included a particularly exhilarating break where orchestra and chorus seemed to cut loose.
After intermission, Hilty reappeared in a silver, tinsel-like gown with a black cape for a playful, sultry “Santa Baby.” She reached the emotional peak of the evening with Joni Mitchell’s “River,” which she called her “new favorite Christmas song.” Beginning a cappella, then accompanied only by acoustic guitar, her performance was intimate, vulnerable, and deeply felt. The Broadway belter’s gentle singing here gave the interpretation a quiet power.
Before introducing “Chanukah Joy and Peace,” a new Chanukah song written for Essential Voices USA by Judith Clurman and David Chase, Reineke acknowledged the rise of antisemitism, then handed the baton to Clurman to conduct. A lively New Orleans–style “Jingle Bell Rock” (Joseph Carleton Real/James Ross Boothe) followed, featuring banjo and some unexpected electric guitar shredding
Hilty returned to full belter mode for the concert’s title song, “A Place Called Home” (Alan Menken/Lynn Ahrens), a lovely selection from A Christmas Carol. The Pops then pulled out all the stops for “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” as the overhead wreath lit up theatrically and “Santa” and his “favorite elf,” Pecan Pie, made a surprise entrance from the rear of the hall. Santa even took the podium to conduct.
The evening’s most moving moment came with “O Holy Night” (Adolphe Adam/John Sullivan Dwight). Hilty delivered a soulful, prayer-like interpretation, and when the chorus entered, the effect was genuinely spiritual. Her voice soared toward the conclusion, capped by a heavenly harp finish.
The finale was a stirring singalong medley of popular Christmas standards that brought the audience to its feet. A Place Called Home proved to be a rousing holiday concert that lifted spirits during a difficult news cycle. Megan Hilty was sensational, and it was nearly impossible to leave Carnegie Hall without a renewed sense of goodwill and peace. Well done, Maestro.
For more information about The New York Pops, visit www.newyorkpops.org.
Photos: Richard Termine
