Bing Crosby, some carols and hymns mix for ‘Holiday Bliss’ in Kansas City
“We need a little Christmas, right this very minute …”
You’re darn right, we do, and the Harriman-Jewell Series has just the ticket.
Hearkening back to the Bing Crosby and Andy Williams TV specials of yore, Harriman-Jewell will present “Holiday Bliss,” starring opera sensation Ben Bliss, at 7 p.m. Dec. 12. This free, virtual concert is sure to provide a much-needed dose of holiday spirit.
The concert will not only feature Prairie Village native Bliss but also the eclectic duo Barnaby Bright as well as jazz pianist Mark Lowrey.
Bliss, whose mother is Lyric Opera of Kansas City mainstay Judy Bliss, has been getting rave reviews for his performances with opera companies around the world, including the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In fact, Bliss was singing in the Met’s production of “Cosí fan Tutte” on March 11, the last performance before the Met closed down until at least the end of the 2021 season because of the pandemic.
“I was actually going to see the new production of ‘West Side Story’ on Broadway on March 12, but that’s also the day they closed down everything on Broadway,” Bliss said. “So I pretty much went home to Seattle in mid-March and spent six months there.”
Bliss, like so many performing artists, faced a wave of canceled concerts, including a spring recital in San Francisco and a summer gig in England. But then things started to brighten in mid-September, as it seemed the pandemic was starting to ease. He was scheduled to sing in a Mozart production in Barcelona, so he flew to San Francisco to get fingerprinted at the Spanish embassy for his visa, and then he headed to Spain.
“We had seven performances scheduled in Barcelona,” Bliss said. “After opening night, they closed all the restaurants, and after our second performance, they imposed a 10 p.m. curfew. I had to leave the opera house with a note saying I was legally allowed to be outside after 10 o’clock to walk home. After the third show, they closed down the theaters.”
In the midst of these frustrating vicissitudes, Bliss was asked by the Seattle Opera to perform a virtual concert of crossover music. He was joined by some jazz musicians and Barnaby Bright, which, by the way, is made up of Bliss’ sister and brother-in-law, Becky and Nathan Bliss.
“Harriman-Jewell saw the concert and thought, ‘Oh, this is fun. Ben can do nontraditional music,’” Bliss said. “And that’s when they had the idea for a holiday show.”
“Holiday Bliss” will feature a diverse program of Bing Crosby Christmas favorites, carols, hymns and jazz numbers. It should be as warm, festive and cozy as a big, bulky Christmas sweater.
“I’ve been really lucky and blessed to find some success in the world of traditional opera,” Bliss said. “Maybe I was born 50 or 60 years too late, but I think given the opportunity, I would also have enjoyed being some kind of lounge lizard or vaudeville emcee. It’s really fun to get to explore those possibilities with a gig like this.”
7 p.m. Dec. 12. Livestream concert from the 1900 Building. Free. To watch the livestream, hjseries.org/events.
Bach Aria Soloists virtual holiday concert
Bach Aria Soloists will stream its annual holiday concert this year at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12. The program will be recorded earlier that day at Village Presbyterian Church and then presented in one take without editing to preserve the excitement of a live performance.
Composed of violinist, founder and artistic director Elizabeth Suh Lane, keyboardist Elisa Williams Bickers, soprano Sarah Tannehill Anderson and cellist Hannah Collins, Bach Aria Soloists will perform the kind of musical mix that has made its annual holiday concert one of the most anticipated of the season.
In addition to baroque gems like Vivaldi’s “Domine Deus” and Bach’s “Laudamus Te,” the group will also take advantage of Village Presbyterian’s magnificent Richards, Fowkes & Co. 3,800-pipe organ.
“Elisa will perform Noëls on the organ by Louis Daquin and she’ll accompany Sarah, who will sing ‘O Holy Night,’” Lane said. “And Sarah will sing our arrangement of ‘Rejoice Greatly’ from Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ I love that one. We’ll also do some carols so people can sing along at home.”
Even though Bach Aria Soloists is known for its adventurous programs, Lane says people like to hear familiar things during the holidays, perhaps this year more than ever.
“We just want to bring joy,” she said. “Our goal during this whole pandemic year has been to bring something delightful and healing to everyone and make it affordable so everyone can participate.”
7:30 p.m. Dec. 12. Virtual concert streaming and tickets ($15-$25) at bachariasoloists.com.
Kansas City Symphony Advent Calendar
In gratitude to the city which has supported them during one of their most challenging years, the musicians of the Kansas City Symphony are presenting a free Musial Advent Calendar during the month of December.
David Sullivan, associate principal horn for the symphony, had the idea in October.
“I was beginning to come to terms with the very real possibility there was little chance the musicians would be performing for any live audience in the Kauffman Center this holiday season,” Sullivan wrote in an email. “Our community has been so supportive of the orchestra during this awful pandemic, and we really wanted to find a way to show our appreciation.
Every day until Christmas, the musicians will post a different holiday-themed video on their Youtube, Facebook and Instagram accounts. The videos will be fairly short, 30 seconds to under two minutes, and will feature ensembles ranging from a flute trio to the entire orchestra. The musical works will include well-known holiday favorites, as well as selections that might not be so familiar.
“Fabrice Curtis, my partner and one of the music librarians of the Kansas City Symphony, and I have been hard at work editing and producing all of the various recordings that our colleagues have submitted,” Sullivan wrote.
People can watch the videos at nstagram.com/kcsmusicians, facebook.com/kcsymphonymusicians and on YouTube at tinyurl.com/y3z4cnn5.
You can reach Patrick Neas at patrickneas@kcartsbeat.com and follow his Facebook page, KC Arts Beat, at facebook.com/kcartsbeat.
This story was originally published December 4, 2020 at 5:00 AM.