Jewel Winds Christmas ( and Toy Drive)

“Jewel Winds Christmas” returns to Rome Art and Community Center on Friday evening, December 6 for a free, community holiday concert.

The program is by arrangement with Alliance Classical Players and begins at 7 pm. It features many well-known holiday and seasonal selections. Lively and jazzy melodies such as We Need a Little Christmas, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will be performed alongside familiar carols like Adeste Fideles, In Dulci Jubilo, Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella, God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, and several more. This year, Jewel Winds is joined by accomplished Syracuse-area pianist Robbie Padilla, who will perform holiday piano solos as well as collaborations with the winds.

“From Deck the Halls to We Wish You a Merry Christmas, and everything in between, this family-friendly concert will contain a great many seasonal favorites,” noted Jewel Winds clarinetist, Colleen O’Neil. “There is something for everyone to enjoy. The musical selections will be interspersed with poems reflecting the ambiance, joy and humor of the season, making the performance even more special. And, capping off the evening, there’s a post-concert reception to which all are invited.”

The musicians also note that Rome Art and Community Center looks even more beautiful than usual at this time of year, as it is opulently decorated for the Christmas season. The performers can think of no better way to start off the month of December than to join them for this free concert event.

Jewel Winds is a long-standing group whose members are all musicians with Alliance Classical Players, a professional chamber music ensemble based in Rome, NY. Besides O’Neil, the members of Jewel Winds performing this year are Cornelia Brewster, flute; Janelle Bookhout, oboe; and Judy Marchione, bassoon. This event is made possible with the support of CNY Arts, The Music Performance Trust Fund, and The Sears Family Foundation.

PLUS, BRING A NEW, UNWRAPPED TOY FOR CONNECTED COMMUNITY SHCOOLS

In the spirit of the season, Alliance Classical Players is hosting a toy drive to benefit Rome’s Connected Community Schools. According to its webpage, CCS works to bring the community, local agencies, services, organizations, businesses, and many more together to assist students and their families, with their mission being to help them become healthy, engaged, productive citizens. Connected Community School’s main hub is in Rome, where it was first started, and helps with food, clothing, and more to all in need. Alliance Classical Players and Jewel Winds invite everyone who attends the concert to help make a child’s Christmas a little brighter by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate.

For more information on this and other upcoming events, visit Alliance Classical Players and Jewel Winds on Facebook, or call Rome Art and Community Center at 315-336-1040.

SPECIAL GUEST Robbie Padilla