Holiday Favorites, Sing-Along At Annual PSO Concert

HOLIDAY TUNES: Vocalist Morgan James is the soloist at the Princeton Symphony Orchestra’s (PSO) annual Holiday POPS! Concert on December 16 at Richardson Auditorium. Shows are at 3 and 6 p.m.

Vocalist Morgan James joins the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (PSO) at the orchestra’s December 16 Holiday POPS! Concert, taking place on December 16 at 3 and 6 p.m. at Richardson Auditorium. Morgan will sing holiday favorites, while the Princeton High School Choir carries the traditional carol sing-along, inviting the audience to join in.

The program includes Steve Allen’s “Cool Yule” and Mariah Carey’s version of “All I Want for Christmas,” plus jazz-infused versions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” Leroy Anderson’s ” Christmas Festival “and “Sleigh Ride” are also included. John Devlin returns to the PSO from West Virginia’s Wheeling Symphony Orchestra to conduct both performances.

“I love returning to one of my favorite musical homes with the PSO, and I know how much our audience loves great Broadway stars,” said Devlin. “Having worked with Morgan James previously, I know that she is the perfect fit for this great holiday tradition, blending classic holiday selections with some new versions that capture the greatness of American music. We can’t wait to celebrate the season with everyone together, and to share the magic of live music.”

In his fourth season as music director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Devlin is only the ninth conductor in its 90-year history to hold that title. He was recently named a recipient of the 2023 Georg Solti Foundation Career Assistance Award. He is a frequent guest conductor with major orchestras across the nation. His engagements include performances with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Louisville Orchestra, the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra, the Columbus Symphony, the Omaha Symphony, the Princeton
Symphony Orchestra, and the American Repertory Ballet.

James grew up listening to everyone from Joni Mitchell to Paul Simon to Prince to Aretha Franklin. After graduating from The Juilliard School with a classical music degree, and performing in the original companies of five Broadway productions, she began writing and recording her own music. Meeting her mentor Berry Gordy Jr. led to a record deal at Epic Records, where she recorded and released her solo album Hunter in 2014. In addition to her five studio albums, James recorded and released a full album cover of Joni Mitchell’s seminal Blue as well as The Beatles’ White Album to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Tickets are $20-$95; youths 5-17 receive a 50 percent discount with an adult purchase. Visit princetonsymphony.org.