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Chris Van Allsburg's sweet fable The Polar Express became an instant classic after its 1986 debut. Maybe that's because the gentle story celebrates Christmas magic without saccharine silliness, and because Van Allsburg's illustrations transport readers to a place somewhere between reality and make-believe.
Robert Kapilow's musical version of the much-loved story (not associated with the 2004 film) is the centerpiece of two upcoming Utah Symphony concert programs. Kapilow tells Van Allsburg's tale through song, weaving fragments of well-known carols into a fresh composition for orchestra, choir and baritone soloist.
Brent Turner and the West Jordan High School Concert Choir will be featured in "The Polar Express" on Utah Symphony Pops and Lollipops concerts in Salt Lake City and Ogden. Utah Symphony Pops conductor Jerry Steichen will conduct. The Pops concert, "Holiday Celebration with Jerry!," is aimed toward adults and teens. The Lollipops concert is designed for families with young children.
The New York Philharmonic has premiered several of Kapilow's orchestra pieces for young audiences. Steichen likes "The Polar Express" especially well, calling it "a wonderful piece that tells the whole story."
Steichen explained that Kapilow's music could be called an oratorio, because it's a story told through vocal, orchestral and choral music. But he feels the musical term sounds too intimidating to describe Kapilow's entertaining "Polar Express."
The music calls for a choir of young voices, which lines up well with the Utah Symphony's tradition of inviting area high-school choirs to perform carols on its holiday Lollipops concert. This year, though, the needs were more complicated: a choir with the skill and showmanship to perform Kapilow's artsy music, lively holiday songs and some tender Christmas music, too.
Utah Symphony education director Paula Fowler, who works with high-school music programs around the state, suggested the West Jordan High School Concert Choir because of a memorable performance the group did with the Utah Symphony several years ago. Under the direction of choir teacher Kelly DeHaan, 115 choir students performed a show-stopping medley of Christmas tunes arranged by Utah composer Mearle Marsh, complete with complicated choreography. And they sold it.
"We just loved it," Fowler said. "[The orchestra's backstage staff] ran out into the hall to watch it. The kids were bursting with energy. They knew they were fascinating and hilarious."
On Fowler's recommendation, Steichen is bringing the West Jordan choir — and the medley, "A Child's Christmas" — back to the stage for this week's concerts. The Utah Symphony will perform Steichen's orchestration of the medley.
When Steichen and DeHaan, who share the trait of enthusiasm, got together to discuss the concerts, the choir's role grew; now the West Jordan students are involved throughout the Lollipops and Pops concerts.
"When [Steichen] found out we were so gung-ho, he started throwing more and more things at us," DeHaan said.
Singing beloved carols with the orchestra was no stretch for the West Jordan students, who perform throughout the Salt Lake Valley during the Christmas season. Kapilow's sophisticated music for "The Polar Express" presented more challenge.
"It's like a tone poem," DeHaan said. "There is really a lot of tone painting, with recognizable carols that connect the whole thing like leitmotifs. The kids were leery of this highbrow music, but as it's come together, they've really started enjoying it and getting into the storytelling aspect."
"The Polar Express" and the spirited "A Child's Christmas" are common to the forthcoming Pops and Lollipops concerts, but apart from those selections, each program has its own focus. The Pops concert "Holiday Celebration with Jerry!" also features a women's trio that Steichen describes as "the Andrews Sisters meet Christmas." Sopranos Karen Brookens and Angela Theis and mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh perform works of Handel and Mendelssohn through modern-day favorites such as "White Christmas." The Lollipops concert upholds its mission of presenting music for families, accompanying "The Polar Express" with entertaining holiday music, a carol sing-along and an important visitor from the North Pole.
All aboard
Utah Symphony Pops conductor Jerry Steichen conducts the orchestra in holiday concerts in Salt Lake City and Ogden. Both programs feature Robert Kapilow's vocal-orchestral version of Chris Van Allsburg's beloved story The Polar Express.
Pops: 'Holiday Celebration With Jerry!'
Ogden • Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Browning Center, Weber State University; visit http://www.symphonyballet.org for ticket information.
Salt Lake City • Dec. 10 and 11 at 8 p.m. at Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple; $30-$58 at 801-355-ARTS or http://www.arttix.org; subscribers and student discounts, 801-533-NOTE.
Lollipops: 'The Polar Express'
Salt Lake City • Dec. 11 at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at Abravanel Hall; $6-$20. Family activities in the foyer, including a visitor from the North Pole, before performances.
Ogden • Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Browning Center.