George Eldred speaks with Paducah Symphony Orchestra conductor Raffaele Ponti about this year’s A Christmas Celebration on Saturday at the Carson Center in Paducah.
A Christmas Celebration will feature three arrangements by composer Mark Hayes. Ponti says Hayes music is popular, modern, and accessible. Along with cheery and upbeat music, the PSO will also perform “In The Bleak Midwinter,” a haunting song that Eldred says brings contemplation and peace.
The symphony orchestra performed two free shows that featured a portion of Saturday’s concert in the lobby of Baptist Health Paducah this afternoon. Ponti says the PSO is more than a cultural icon and more than entertainment and these performances help make it more important and relevant to the community. He says he hoped it would bring a bit of joy to people who may be going through a difficult time in their lives. Ponti adds that music therapy has been around for several years but there is now scientific evidence showing it is healthy for the brain and can help with Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s Disease.
