Music Review of Christmas on the Heights

Music Review of Christmas on the Heights

On Sunday, December 2, 2009 the Boston College University Choral and Symphony Orchestra perform "Christmas on the Heights" on the campus of Boston College. It was night filled with joyous Christmas music directed by John Finney. The entire concert featured 18 well-known and well-loved Christmas songs. The auditorium was filled with honored guests who were eager to hear the Christmas selections.

The Boston College University Symphony Orchestra was comprised of a rich variation of musical instruments such as the violins, cellos, flutes, clarinets, trumpets, and trombones. This wide variation of instrumentation provided a musical presentation that captured the audience. "Joy to the World," "Hark! The Harold Angels Sing," and "Hallelujah" were among the songs played by the orchestra. These three particular songs were played very professionally and festively with a sound far above the quality of a typical orchestra. The balance of instrumentation, tones, chords, and melody were superior. Each of the different instruments took turns playing the melody and harmony using a variety of chords and tone of these songs, making each song very exciting to listen to. Each song had a very deep and rich tone. The director, John Finney carefully directed each instrumental section as each one took over the melody and he emphasized the strong chords. This superior balance created a musical masterpiece out of a traditional Christmas song.

In addition to balance, technique was also observed. Musical technique is best defined as the exclusive use of major and minor chords within a musical selection. The Boston College University Symphony Orchestra played each of the Christmas songs in different major and minor chords. This also provided a nice presentation for the audience. Each song was played in a different chord providing for a rich, deep sound. It created a since of joy and excitement in the air. It made the listener not only hear the music, but feel it as well.

"Joy to the World," "Hark! The Harold Angels Sing," and "Hallelujah" were played several times with a mixture of balance and technique, making them very strong and powerful songs. The choir was also included in these selections which created a feeling of Christmas. Many members of the audience not only listened to these songs, they also sang with the choir. The beautiful sounds of each song penetrated the auditorium making the feeling of Christmas come to life. The voices mixed with the variation of instrumentation of the orchestra was enjoyed by each member of the audience.