BREVARD, NC – The Brevard Philharmonic performed its latest concert, “Christmastime in Brevard,” this past weekend. The show, just in time for the holiday season, is the latest in the Brevard Phil’s 2024-2025 concert series, “The Season of Wow!”

The Brevard Phil lived up to the season’s name. There were more than a few wow-worthy moments in their cascade of Christmas cheer. “Christmastime in Brevard” was conducted by the orchestra’s artistic director, James C. Fellenbaum. Fellenbaum was a delight as a presenter, half Santa Claus and half Buddy the Elf: he had magisterial control over his musicians and a guileless sense of humor with the audience.

The biggest innovation of Fellenbaum’s show was the combination of orchestral performance with theatric flourishes: during a performance of “The Night Before Christmas,” vocal soloists Michael Roemer and Jennifer D’Agostino sang the classic Clement Clarke Moore poem to a gaggle of small children in a Yuletide living room on stage right.

For the three movements of Haydn’s “Toy Symphony,” musicians in holiday hats stood to perform toy instruments, including bird calls, rattles and creative percussive implements. Roemer took to the stage with ferocious commitment for “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” complimenting his baritone voice with powerful strides across the stage and expressive gestures, fully in character. Towards the end of the show, the audience was even invited to participate, joining Roemer and D’Agostino in singing several classic Christmas carols in a medley supported by the orchestra.

Not all of these bold swings worked to equal effect. Despite the ease and chemistry Roemer and D’Agostino brought to the stage – the two are married – they may have been miscast as a duet. D’Agostino wielded a beautiful, operatic command of her voice, while Roemer was a suave and more traditional vocalist. In isolation, the two worked wonderfully; D’Agostino was a perfect match for the wistful heights of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and Roemer excelled as a Grinch admonisher. Together, however, the vocal blend was incongruous, as in their concert debut, “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”

That being said, the energy the duo brought to the stage together was unmistakable. Their energy was perfect for the light, fun, and festive atmosphere of “Christmastime in Brevard” – exactly the attitudinal overture Western North Carolina needs in a season after Hurricane Helene devastated the region.

It should be noted that the vocalists and creative staging of the show were ornaments to the orchestra’s instrumental Christmas tree. The Brevard Phil was wonderful, bringing holiday classics to life with triumphant fanfare. The versatility of the instrumentation, from harp and viola to trombone and timpani, was like a particularly enthusiastic group of Christmas carolers: well-rounded, dynamic, and inspiring.

There were stronger pieces than others in the program – the “Toy Symphony,” while fun, overstayed its welcome in comparison with the stupendous “Skaters’ Waltz” – but the overall experience was a blanket of fresh sonic snow. Bravo to the Brevard Philharmonic! Merry Christmas, and to all a good night.