Peter Nero And The Pops Usher In The Holiday Season

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Peter Nero ushers in the holiday season with the annual Holiday Pops.

Peter Nero kicks off the holiday season with the Philly Pops December holiday performance here at Verizon Hall.

Maestro Nero says being on stage with this orchestra is like "heaven".

He says the holiday shows are particularly fun, "We're going to perform a wide spectrum of holiday music."

And he promises audiences are sure to experience a little holiday magic:

"We're going to do music from Harry Potter. Our organist will play a French song; oh we'll have a sing along also. Oh, the gospel choir will crack the plaster of the Kimmel Center. Then we all do the Hallelujah chorus, a goodbye with We Wish You a Merry Christmas and we cannot end the concert without doing Liberty Bell and have everybody clap along."

The Pops have come together with the Pops Festival Chorus, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Gospel Choir and the Philadelphia Boys' Choir:

"We're going to be doing the Leroy Anderson Christmas Festival; the kids are doing Angels Carol. Rachel York will be singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town followed by Santa Baby. Christmas Lullaby, that's on our album, then a Hannukah medley, and the kids will be doing I'll Be There which is Jackson 5."

After 50 years, Nero says he still gets excited about the seasonal performances.

Reported By Hadas Kuznits, KYW Newsradio.