A POPS kind of Christmas

It wasn't Radio City, and it wasn't Carnegie Hall. But it was Christmas.\nChristmas With the Pops Saturday night rang full of the traditional music and magic of the holidays, as the warmth of Christmas carols resonated through the IU Auditorium, sheltered from the snow and icy winds outside.\nPoinsettias and elegant white lights set the stage for the Bloomington POPS Orchestra and Yuletide Singers. The mood was set with the "Many Moods of Christmas," a diverse compilation of timeless carols ranging from the sweet strings of "Silent Night" to the bold and compulsive timpani of "Patapan." The arrangement concluded with an angelic chorale and organ finale of "O' Come, All Ye Faithful."\nWhat began as a peaceful and refined atmosphere was interrupted with a bizarre and almost humorous rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." With each verse came a new musical style dating from sixth century Rome to 19th century American influence. The seven swans swam to the romanticism of 19th century France, and the eight maids a-milked to what sounded no different than a Listerine commercial claiming the musical styling of 19th century Germany.\nThe bell choir of Bloomington First United Methodist Church performed with the orchestra to "Carol of the Bells," an intense and almost spooky ensemble that seems holy in its magnitude. Though a holiday classic, the complex musical arrangement was not achieved, as simultaneous timing was noticeably off.\nThe best performance of the night lay in the hands of Sulaiman Zai, guitar-sensation, in "Coventry Carol." With Santanic talent, Zai manipulated the strings, playing it like a harp at some times and a banjo at others. The lonesome and defined melody of the guitar had a Latin undertone, complimented by the classy whine of the strings.\n"Santa Clause is Comin' to Town" was the most lighthearted piece of the night, carrying a Frank Sinatra-esque, jazzy and muffled trumpet melody.\nTowards the end of the performance, Clement Clark Moore, an impressionist, read his translation of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas." From the mouths of Johnny Carson, John Wayne and Bill Cosby, the Christmas Eve-staple was witty and fun, hitting home with Bob Knight's final words, "Merry Christmas to all, especially Bob Knight."\nAfter a visit from Santa, the audience, in all its Christmas-sweater glory, participated in a carol sing-a-long to wrap up a night of song, tradition and merriment.