You certainly did if you attended the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra holiday concert last evening. With Teddy Abrams at the helm as guest conductor, the orchestra was vibrant the entire evening. It is easy to see why Teddy was selected by the League of American Orchestras as one of the best of the upcoming conductors.
Annie Bender, the winner of the HHSO Junior Concerto Competition in 2011, was the violin soloist. Although only 17, she exhibits a professionalism, confidence, and talent beyond her years. Her performance was truly one of the evening’s highlights.
We were pleased to have the Symphony Chorus share in this delightful evening. As one of the vocals, they performed the Hallelujah Chorus, clearly a favorite of all who were there to enjoy the celebration of the season.
Several things made the evening especially fun. Teddy’s passion for music was contagious to everyone in the orchestra and audience. The performance of the Nutcracker was met with so much enthusiasm that listeners couldn’t wait to the end to applaud in sheer delight. The premature appreciation changed from “uh-oh” to “OK – this is really great” and the applause continued.
For me a special moment was when the orchestra played Artistic Advisor and Concertmaster, Terry Moore’s arrangement of Silent Night as the closing piece with Annie Binder as soloist. It was truly magnificent! If there had been some way to take that music home with me, I would surely have done so.
Another sold out concert indicates the HHSO is the place to be. Don’t wait to get your tickets for upcoming performances – there is no need to miss out on this exciting season. www.HHSO.org
