Gainesville Symphony scores another hit with its holiday program
By Frank Bradley Staff writer
If you weren't at the recent Holiday Pops Concert by the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra at the Fieldstone Cinemas Six in Hiawassee, you missed a real treat. There they were, back for their fourth season performance, lifting the spirits of the audience with the sweet sounds of brass, strings, woodwinds and percussion instruments as well as the voices of a sing-a-long audience. Dr. Gregory Pritchard, the conductor, kept the audience entertained with his dry sense of humor while he introduced each song or medley with a descriptive history. Selections included classics from Mozart, Rimsky-Korsakov as well as America's Vaughan Williams with his Fantasia on "Greensleeves." Scott Fugate narrated "The Night Before Christmas" as the orchestra played a medley of Christmas songs. The audience joined the orchestra with four traditional Christmas songs following the words on slides projected on the movie screen. Prichard commented that the Gainesville Symphony Orchestra had gone high tech with this visual cue for the audience. The Fieldstone Family Entertainment Center's general manager, Chad Hooper, and his staff deserve accolades for the great job they did decorating and setting up the stage for the concert. Hooper said that the Fieldstone does not profit from the festivities. "It's strictly a gathering for the local community to have a good time," he said. It should also be acknowledged that this symphony in the north Georgia mountains has gained a reputation not only locally but for miles around. Folks came from surrounding counties in Georgia, North Carolina and even Tennessee. Fieldstone owners, Dana and Ken Merritt, have made it a major objective to bring the orchestra to these parts each year. They are to be commended for their generous support in adding to the cultural enhancement of our region. And they have done it year after year. Also, a special thanks goes to Scotty Fain, Frenando and Buffy Gandon, and to commissioner Bill Kendall and his wife Jean, as well as Ridges Resort Manager, Brett Beasley and his staff, who graciously served wine and hors d'oeuvres. For those who enjoyed the orchestra's performance and wish to hear another concert, Dr. Pritchard invited everyone to a concert in April, which will be held in Gainesville.
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