Christmas garlands and lights have already begun to creep into homes, onto bushes outside houses, and yes, into stores. Tomorrow evening the music starts with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra Holiday Pops in the Heartland concert at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts. Included in that concert is the Twin Cities Ballet Company and the Illinois State University Choirs. GLT's Charlie Schlenker talks with Karyl Carlson, the Director of ISU's Choirs about the the place of a pops concert in today's culture....what it affirms and what it helps people do.
The Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony will also be performing with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in the Holiday Pops in the Heartland event at the BCPA at 7:30 Friday evening. Yes...there will be be audience participation too. During the interview you heard the Salt Lake Choral Artists, City of Prague Philharmonic with the Crouch End Festival Chorus, the Lakeside Singers from Chicago, the Vancouver B.C. Symphony, and the Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra.