The volunteer members of Euclid’s Symphony Orchestra recently held their Holiday Pops Concert as classic songs like “A Most Wonderful Christmas,” and “O Holy Night” filled the large concert hall of Shore Cultural Centre with familiar holiday sounds. Soloist Tammy Davis put her spin on “Sleigh Ride” with special guest Bob Schindler performing “A Christmas Festival” on his harmonica. Wrapping up the night, members of the Euclid Symphony Orchestra Chorus performed selections from The Messiah. People enter the auditorium of Shore Cultural Centre, 291 E 222nd St. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Music Director and Conductor of Euclid’s Symphony Orchestra Jimmie Parker Sr., said that he wanted to have some classic songs in the concert, with a few different twists thrown into the mix. “Absolutely wonderful, we had a great time,” Parker said. “Everybody from what I understand, in the audience, loved the first half and then they loved The Messiah. Internally, the orchestra enjoyed playing it, the chorus enjoyed performing it.” “Everybody enjoyed each other, and I just conducted,” Parker added with a laugh. Santa makes a special appearance at Euclid’s Holiday Pops Concert. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) He said that people could assume that the orchestra just plays European centric music, but that he tries to change things up by showcasing different styles of music or bringing in guest bands like he did in the previous session with the band U4U, a Ukrainian rock band with members that are from Ukraine but all live in Cleveland. “I like to do some things that are different,” Parker said. “Last season, we did a collaboration with U4U. I had a chance to go hear them last year at a concert and I invited them to do a collaboration. We did about three of their songs in their language, I wrote all of the orchestra parts for it, and we came together to rehearse it and pulled it off.” “I try to stay true to some traditional things but also look for some collaborations and some different things that they haven’t done that’s a little different. Like having a harmonica play with the orchestra.” A member of the Euclid Symphony Chorus waits to go onstage to perform. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) He added that although he enjoys pushing the creative limits on what an orchestra can play, having such a large number of volunteer singers, choir members, and orchestra performers gives them the ability to play complex pieces of classical music. “The Messiah is a traditional piece, but everybody doesn’t get a chance to do it,” Parker said. “Just having the ability to do it, the singers, the players. So, when I had the opportunity, I said ‘let’s do it’ , brought in my chorus and my singers and put them in the orchestra. “It kept me busy for quite a while, rehearsing with both the orchestra and with the chorus and bringing them together in the last week before the concert. It was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work.” Soloist singer Tammy Davis performs ‘Sleigh Ride’ at the Holiday Pops Concert. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) The Euclid Symphony Orchestra has been performing since 1961. Now, it consists of over 35 local volunteers who practice throughout the year. While it’s not uncommon for a city to have an orchestra, Parker said he realizes the significance of being able to put on regular performances with dedicated musicians. “Having the honor of being able to bring some good music to our community here in Euclid and the surrounding cities here in Northeast, Ohio – I absolutely love it – it’s one of my passions,” Parker said. “I’m a musician and a teacher as well, but (out of) everything that I do, I love to conduct, so it’s wonderful and I enjoy it immensely.” A member of the Euclid Symphony Chorus takes part in the Holiday Pops Concert. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) He said that reaching new people was a struggle for many orchestras. But by trying to bring new people in by connecting them to bits of music they might know or have heard in passing, he hopes to keep them interested in coming back. “Orchestras are trying to reach a different demographic of people who might not necessarily know Beethoven or Tchaikovsky or any of these guys, they might not be familiar with the music,” Parker said. “Or sometimes they have heard the music but didn’t know what it was.” “You hear ‘dun, dun, dun, dun,” Parker said, imitating Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. “People have heard that but there is a whole group of people that have no idea that’s Beethoven… So, orchestras are having to sort of change their repertoire, somewhat, to reach a different group of people and by doing that they are able to increase their reach.” Volunteer members of Euclid’s Symphony Orchestra wait to start their Holiday Pops Concert.on Dec. 8. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald.) Parker, who became music director last year, said that he was enjoying being in Euclid and is planning to stay in the position for the foreseeable future. He said plans are already in the works for possibly performing an R&B concert in the next few seasons and that he wants to continue pushing the boundaries of what people consider to be orchestral music. “We are talking about next season and even beyond that, have no plans on leaving,” Parker said when asked if he planned on staying in Euclid. “I love it, I love being there. The people that come to our concerts are all very nice. My orchestra are nice people, it’s a nice community, the vibe and scenery is nice, I’m enjoying my time so far…” Euclid’s Symphony Orchestra’s next event, “Spiritual Echoes: A Black History Celebration” which is not part of the normal concert season, will be on Feb. 22. More information about the location and details of the event will be updated on the Euclid Symphony Orchestra website.