A Season of Light

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Friday & Saturday, December 4 & 5 at 7:30 p.m.

At the Arkley Center for Performing Arts in downtown Eureka, 412 G St.

Eureka Symphony phone: (707) 845-3655

Sponsored by:
The Redwood Legacy Group at Morgan Stanley

Bringing warmth, joy, and the spirit of the season to audiences of all ages, this special program features beloved holiday music performed by the full orchestra and the extraordinary talents of local vocalist Claire Bent, all under the direction of Conductor and Artistic Director Carol Jacobson.

The evening opens with Carol Symphony by English composer Victor Hely-Hutchinson, a delightful and inventive reimagining of traditional Christmas carols. This four-movement symphony transforms O Come, All Ye Faithful into a Bach-inspired chorale prelude and God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen into a lively scherzo. Familiar melodies take on surprising new life in this spirited orchestral celebration.

Following intermission, the spotlight turns to the incomparable Claire Bent, whose versatility and expressive voice will shine in a beautifully crafted Hanukkah medley and a collection of holiday favorites, reimagined with charm, soul, groove, and sophistication.

Claire is sponsored by Kathleen and Phillip Frankel.

Tickets are from $21 to $54 and are available exclusively through this website, or by calling (707) 845-3655 for assistance.

Family-Friendly Pricing: Share the magic of live orchestral music with the next generation! With every adult ticket purchased, up to two children under age 12 are admitted free. Special rates are also available for student groups.

For those seeking last-minute deals, RUSH tickets may be available at the door after 6 p.m. on concert evenings for just $15—or only $10 with a valid student ID. These tickets offer the best seats available and are sold on a cash-only basis. Due to the popularity of this concert there is the possibility that tickets at the door will be limited.

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“The holidays are a wonderful time to come together through music. This program celebrates familiar traditions in fresh and surprising ways, and we’re delighted to share the stage with the extraordinary Claire Bent.”

Carol Jacobson, Conductor and Artistic Director

Program

Carol Symphony

Victor Hely-Hutchison, 1901-1947

Allegro energico

Allegro molto moderato

Andante quasi lento e cantabile

Allegro energico come prima

    Intermission

    A Hanukkah medley and holiday favorites

    Vocalist Claire Bent

    Thank you to our soloist sponsors – Kathleen & Phillip Frankel

    Claire Bent’s Bio:

    Claire Bent is a Humboldt County native who has been singing from a very young age, starting in church, and the Arcata Interfaith Gospel Choir. She excelled in Arcata school choirs, and played French horn in the ArMack Orchestra under the tutelage of Carol Jacobson, and went on to get her Bachelor’s in Music at Humboldt State University. She fronts the local funk and soul band, Claire Bent and Citizen Funk, a Jazz Quintet, a folk/Irish trio called Drop of the Pure, and also performs solo with her ukulele. She has honed her craft over many years, becoming a darling of the local music scene. She attributes her wide range of musical tastes to her wonderful parents, Jim and Melanie Bent, who have always been her biggest supporters.

    After the birth of her daughter Sophia, with husband Matt St Charles, and a grueling battle with cancer, she has risen back to the top of the local jazz and funk scenes, and delights audiences with a voice that ranges from delicate to powerful.

    “I am absolutely delighted and honored that Carol asked me to be the featured soloist for December’s Symphony concert! I’ve known and loved Carol since I was in both her orchestra and choir in high school, and I hope I make her proud this season. I keep running into people who are excited for the performance, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous! It’s going to be a great show, and I hope to see everyone there!”

    Claire Bent

    Live painting by Stock Schlueter

    Adding another artistic dimension to the festivities, renowned local painter Stock Schlueter will create an original painting live during Friday evening’s concert. The completed artwork will be raffled off at the conclusion of Saturday’s performance. Learn more about the artist through Schlueter Gallery.

    To deepen enjoyment, Eureka Symphony offers two ways to prepare for the concert, Musical Notes and Live & Local Concert Previews. 

    Musical Notes:

    Arrive at 6:30 pm on the evening of your concert for a pre-concert talk, at no additional cost, featuring concertmaster Terrie Baune and pianist John Chernoff. Discover fascinating insights into the music and composers. Seating is open.

    Sponsored by Carol and Wayne Palmer.

    Live and Local Concert Preview:

    Get an advance look at the program via Zoom on Monday, November 30, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. Hosted by Elizabeth Morrison with special guest Claire Bent, this free, engaging discussion is an OLLI Special Interest Group. Join OLLI at humboldt.edu/OLLI or call (707) 826-5880 for the Zoom link.

    Sponsored by the Eureka Symphony.

    Door-to-Door Shuttle:

    The Eureka Symphony offers convenient round-trip transportation for concertgoers who need assistance getting to the performance, for just $10. Reservations can be made vis the link below or by calling (707) 845-3655, ext. 2.

    Visit www.eurekasymphony.org/get-involved for details.

    Shuttle Signup Form

    Summary:

    Elizabeth Morrison’s notes from our Playbill

    The Eureka Symphony’s holiday concert traditionally kicks off Humboldt County’s winter festivities in grand style. Carol selects sparkling music to warm our communal hearts, like 2021’s Symph-Hanukkah and 2025’s The Snowman. This year she has chosen Carol Symphony, by the English composer Victor Hely-Hutchinson. His orchestral music, popular in his lifetime, has mostly disappeared, but the Carol Symphony lives on. It was premiered in 1927 by the Wireless Symphony Orchestra, the predecessor of the BBC Symphony, and became a holiday tradition. A review in The Radio Times said that “in this work the composer has tried to express the spirit of joy which is called up by the memories of the romance and mystery of the manger.” 

    The 25-minute work is in four movements, played without a break, each one based on a traditional Christmas carol. In the first movement, O come, all ye faithful is treated like a hymn in one of Bach’s Choral Preludes, in which Bach surrounds his hymn tune with elaborate counterpoint. You’ll hear Hely-Hutchinson’s counterpoint in an introduction before the familiar carol makes its appearance; it will continue throughout the movement. In the second movement, alternating slow and fast treatments of God rest you merry, gentlemen make for a lively scherzo. The third movement, which Hely-Hutchinson calls “the real core of the Symphony,” is based on two carols: Lullay, Lullay, which we know as the Coventry Carol, and The First Nowell–that’s the English spelling of “Noel.” The last movement brings back the first movement’s counterpoint as a fugue, interrupted by Here we come a-wassailing. Finally, the reappearance of O come, all ye faithful creates a joyful finish.