Page 4 - Phil Connections Magazine 11-2020 final_Neat
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A walk with
Steven Karidoyanes
Conductor & Music Director
On a recent morning walk, I couldn’t help but notice a confluence of celebration décor. A
leftover Jack-o’-lantern. A cornucopia-themed mum display. A light post adorned with
Christmas garland. Many holidays are on simultaneous display in my neighborhood,
which certainly makes my stroll more interesting.
For most of us, our traditions give us comfort and cheer. I can 100% relate!
One tradition we have at the Phil, which has brought lots of joy to many over the years,
is our annual March of the Toys indoor parade and collection of donated gifts for the
Children’s Holiday Fund.
The history of this special addition to our holiday concerts spans back over 26 years to
when we were planning my second season as the conductor of this wonderful orchestra.
Yes, our holiday concerts were lovely up to that point, but we wanted to make them even
more special for our community.
In an informal brainstorming session with the orchestra’s then executive director, Bobbie
Otto, I shared my experience as the associate conductor of the Winston-Salem Symphony
in North Carolina.
Every July 4th this orchestra had the tradition of presenting the Miss Liberty
Parade. Literally thousands of flag-waving children dressed in red, white & blue
marched around the concert grounds following this tall woman in flowing robes
costumed convincingly as the Statue of Liberty while I conducted the orchestra
playing non-stop Sousa marches for a solid 20 minutes. It was a sight to behold!
It was also the highlight of the concert and an annual tradition the area families
adored.
I wondered out loud to Bobbie, “How could we capture the spirit of an outdoor Miss
Liberty Parade and harness it for our indoor Holiday Pops concerts?” In rather short order,
our concept of The March of the Toys was born.
We ran this ‘charity toy drive set to music’ idea past the then publisher of the Old Colony
Memorial, Phyllis Hughes, who enthusiastically organized The Children’s Holiday Fund to
assist in the distribution of the toys to deserving families, connecting us to the Plymouth
Area Coalition for the Homeless in the process.
PAGE 4 CONNECTIONS