Cape Symphony is honored to welcome esteemed guest vocalist Patrice Tiedemann to the stage at our Holiday on the Cape concerts on December 1, 2 and 3. Ms. Tiedemann has appeared with the Boston Pops for their Holiday Concerts, and with Boston Lyric Opera, the Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Pioneer Valley Symphony, Opera Providence, Cape Cod Opera, and many others. Holiday on the Cape audiences are in for a special treat!
“We had so much fun coming up with this repertoire!” Patrice says of working with conductor Joe Marchio. The first half of the program is more contemporary – “a kind of Rosemary Clooney vibe” – as Maureen Condon’s “Christmas on Cape Cod” takes us on a tour of lovely local holiday events, and Mel Tormé’s beloved “Christmas Song” (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire) delivers irresistible holiday cheer.
Ms. Tiedemann’s own childhood Christmas memories are strongly connected to music. “I grew up listening to Nat King Cole, Perry Como… all the classic Christmas crooners. When my grandmother broke out her Nat King Cole records and started tip-tapping around cooking and cleaning, you knew it was time!” she laughs. “There was a lot of church, and a lot of food!” Family togetherness is central to it all, then and now. “These days, the holiday season schedule is intense. Because of my performance commitments, I see some of my family on Christmas Eve morning, then I host a huge dinner on New Year’s Day for the family I didn’t get to see on Christmas.”
Ms. Tiedemann is also the Artistic Director of Seaglass Theater Company, producing creatively staged performances of classic vocal repertoire for the Southern New England area. “I like the busy,” she says, but it’s nice when January brings some downtime. “We call it ‘Netflix and Stew Month’!”
Cape Symphony is delighted to be part of Ms. Tiedemann’s busy season. “I can’t wait to be with the orchestra live on stage,” she says. “Live performance, with the energy of the audience… there is just no feeling like the vibration of a live orchestra under your feet. I never get tired of it!”
The magic of our Holiday on the Cape program will peak with Ms. Tiedemann’s performance of the much-loved carol “O Holy Night.” “When I’m entrusted with this song, I know it attaches to people’s emotions,” she says. Strong feelings are woven into the piece, and it’s not unusual to see audience members dabbing their eyes as it builds and builds.
“That emotional connection with an audience really fuels me as an artist,” Ms. Tiedemann says. From the chestnuts roasting, to the stars brightly shining, it’s a connection sure to sparkle.
