Get ready for the Philly Pops holiday concert

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - November 20, 2011 (WPVI) -- It's time to ring in the holidays with Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.

This is the 33rd season for the Pops and they're opening this year with their popular holiday pops concert. It's your favorite holiday hits, a 140 member chorus and a special visit from Santa Claus.

The holiday pops concert opens with Santa, closes with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, and in between, you'll hear all of the nostalgic tunes of the season performed with a cast of a thousand.

Peter Nero from Peter Nero & The Philly Pops said, "It's kind of like an Ed Sullivan show. We have everything up there but the elephants so what happens is there's tremendous variety."

The Pops perform alone and with the 140 member Pops Festival chorus, the Philadelphia Boys Choir, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas Gospel Choir and singer Ashley Brown who played Mary Poppins on Broadway.

Nero referring to Brown said, "She's phenomenal. She's got that legit soprano voice but she can also get down, so she can sing anything from Mary Poppins. She can also sing Santa Baby, which is a very seductive type song.

The Pops will play about 20 seasonal tunes, everything from Sleigh Ride to White Christmas to a 7-minute set of variations on Jingle Bells.

"Which our orchestra handles very well because they play everything well, all different styles. There's a big band style in there. There's a rock and roll version, added Nero."

For those who's never experienced the Holiday pops concert, Nero says, "They're missing the best orchestra of its kind in the entire cosmos."

The Pops will put on 7 Holiday Concerts, starting Friday December 9th.

For tickets and show times, go to Peter Nero and the Philly Pops.

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music, lifestyle, 6abc loves the arts, karen rogers

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