November 22, 2006
The Maryland Symphony Orchestra Rings In the Holiday Season on December 16 & 17 with “Silver Bells”

HAGERSTOWN, MD - - It’s Christmastime in the city, and The Maryland Symphony Orchestra and Music Director Elizabeth Schulze invite you to ring in the season with Silver Bells on December 16, 2006 at 7:00 pm and December 17, 2006 at 3:00 pm. at the Maryland Theatre in downtown Hagerstown. The MSO presents two full-length concerts of seasonal favorites, featuring Hagerstown Choral Arts, the Potomac Classical Youth Ballet, the Hagerstown Handbell Ensemble, cellist Lukasz Szyrner, soprano Morgan Harmison, and much more, including the winner of the annual MSO Holiday Poster Contest, which is sponsored by the Washington County Board of Education, the City of Hagerstown, the Herald-Mail Newspapers in Education program, and Express Printing.

Concert highlights for the much–anticipated holiday celebration include selections from “The Nutcracker Suite,” Robert Shaw’s “Many Moods of Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” Tchaikovsky’s lovely “Andante Cantabile,” “Sleigh Ride” and, of course “Silver Bells.” Audience members will become the city’s largest chorus when they join in the traditional sing-along, and St. Nick will put on a special appearance to make sure that children of all ages leave the theatre with a holiday song in their hearts and a candy cane in their pockets.

The Washington County Arts Council is partnering with the MSO to jointly promote the Holiday Concerts and the December 16 opening of their exhibit, 100 DOVES, their third annual celebration of peace, featuring works by a variety of regional artists. Opening receptions are Saturday, December 16 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Sunday, December 17 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. The exhibit closes on February 3, 2007. Artwork from the exhibit will be featured on the cover of the holiday concert program book.

Celebration Sponsor for Silver Bells is M&T Bank. Gold Baton Sponsor is Conservit, Inc., and Conductor’s Circle Sponsors are Dr. & Mrs. George E. Manger, Jr., Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Newcomer, Mr. & Mrs. John E. Unger, Jr. and The Herald-Mail Newspapers. The Maryland Symphony Orchestra is also supported by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of Maryland and the National Endowment for the Arts.

In the event that inclement weather causes a cancellation, the concert snow date will be Monday, December 18, at 7:00 p.m.

Tickets for Silver Bells are $20 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under. The MSO also offers “Family Four-Packs” where patrons receive 1 free ticket for every 4 purchased. The MSO Box Office at 13 South Potomac Street in Hagerstown is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets can also be purchased by calling the Box Office at 301-797-4000.

The Maryland Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Elizabeth Schulze, is currently celebrating its twenty-fifth season as the area’s premiere professional orchestra, dedicated to providing musical performances and programs that educate and entertain while enhancing the cultural environment of Western Maryland and the Quad-state region.