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Charismatic Conductor Returns To Lead Philadelphia Orchestra Performing Holiday Music

By Steve Tawa

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The Philadelphia Orchestra performed timeless holiday favorites Thursday night at the Kimmel Center, and has more performances of the program entitled "The Glorious Sound of Christmas" Friday and Saturday night.

Under the baton of conductor Bramwell Tovey, the orchestra, backed by the vocals of the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, performed traditional holiday music, including arrangements that were on Eugene Ormandy's famous 1962 recording and Tovey's own arrangements.

"I think the downstairs household at Downton Abbey will find this OK," he says. "This will be fun for everybody - and the whole family, too."

Rehearsal in Verizon Hall
Rehearsal in Verizon Hall (Credit: Steve Tawa)

Back stage, in his dressing room, he also played a tune he wrote while walking through Rittenhouse Square that is included in the program.

"I've called it the 'Rittenhouse Carol.' It's funny, last week, when it wasn't completed, the orchestra was calling it 'the un-Rittenhouse Carol'."

Tovey says as he walked around town past some of the shops, it came to him, as he thought about children getting a visit from Santa, while reminded of what occurred at Bethlehem, as he puts it, "according to the good book."

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