It’s easy to take Christmas music for granted.
Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” can be a polarizing force during the holidays, splitting friend groups and family members along a jingling divide. From around Thanksgiving on, radios, grocery stores, department stores and many public spaces have Christmas or holiday music piped in, an onslaught of familiar tunes that evoke nostalgia or irritation.
But it doesn’t have to be so. The holidays are a time for togetherness, peace and tidings of joy. This well complements music’s ability to bring people closer together in a shared experience, a fact felt best at live concerts and shows.
Pittsburgh is renowned for its wealth of cultural treasures and musical institutions, from the symphony to the opera to smaller companies like the Mendelssohn Choir and Resonance Works. Many are offering holiday-themed programming — what better time for those who are able to come together in fellowship of music?
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra of course has its Highmark Holiday Pops tradition, complete with a visit from Santa Claus the coming weekends. The Mendelssohn Choir is exploring a variety of seasonal programming, while Resonance Works is tapping into a more European Christmas tradition with the opera “Hansel and Gretel.” Duquesne University is hosting a Christmas sing-along. And much more.
It’s easy to adopt the Grinch’s attitude in the face of such opportunities due to this music’s ubiquity, but there’s a key difference in passively letting the familiar tunes wash over you and actively listening to these melodic treasures.
For many if not most, this music is evocative of a more innocent time in their lives, a chance to relive the wonder and excitement of the holidays.
Pittsburgh is blessed with a wealth of such opportunities for families to come together to appreciate a vanishing musical moment. Those looking to start a new tradition or to simply take some time away from the hustle and bustle of the season would do well to remember the simple joy of attending such performances.
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