Christmas time is here and the Okanagan Symphony Orchestra is looking to ring in the holiday season by featuring their very own Fish on Five Brass Quintet.
Yuletide Brass will cover a range of Christmastime favourites bringing the joy of the holiday season to the Cleland Theatre on Dec. 20, shining a spotlight on local musicians.
Local group Fish on Five is made up of five musicians from the OSO’s brass section. The group, featuring Jim Howie and Dennis Colpitts (also the director of the Okanagan Symphony Youth Orchestra) on trumpets, horn player Edmund House, trombone player Wade Dorsey and tuba player Reynold Ep, get their name from an annual fishing trip the group takes.
The brass players would take their instruments on to Reynold’s boat and head off to the West Coast to catch the years supply of Salmon, playing their tunes all the while.
“They have evolved from playing a couple of tunes at a local pub for dinner into playing full-fledged concerts,” said Rosemary Thomson, music director of the OSO.
“We are very thrilled to have them as our featured artist, as well as featuring them within the orchestra,” Thomson said.
The night’s entertainment will also feature local soprano Dawn Mussellam, who will join the orchestra in selections of Bach, Handel and Verdi, all chosen with the Christmas spirit in mind. Mussellam has peformed with the OSO regularly, with her last appearance taking place during the Last Night of the Proms concert last May.
The performance will also feature an arrangement with the whole brass section alongside Fish on Five called Christmas Toons, a fun medley featuring all the animated favourites from the holidays from Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph to the Grinch
“It’s a program with something for everyone. It has really uplifting and fun sections, it has contemplative and thoughtful sections and lots of sing-a-long carols and it’s great for all ages,” Thomson said.
Yuletide Brass visits Kelowna Dec. 19 and heads to Vernon on Dec. 21. Tickets are available at the Kelowna Actors Studio at 250-862-2867 or at the Wine Country Information Centre at 250-276-2170. Tickets are also available online at www.okanagansymphony.com
