DuPage Symphony Orchestra joins Celtic Woman at North Central

DuPage Symphony Orchestra, meet some Irish women dancing and flitting and spinning about the stage.

PBS regular Celtic Woman takes over North Central College’s Pfeiffer Hall Saturday, Dec. 17, alongside and around and near the DuPage Symphony Orchestra as part of its “A Christmas Celebration — The Symphony Tour.”

The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets have been long gone to see the Irish vocal quartet perform Christmas favorites such as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “O Holy Night,” “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.”

Largely Irish community, meet the DuPage Symphony Orchestra.

That’s what orchestra members hope to gain from the performance — an introduction to more people who may not necessarily consider themselves classical music fans.

The attraction to Celtic Woman seems obvious, said Patricia Fragen, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra’s marketing co-chairperson.

“It’s beautiful women singing familiar songs in a very Irish community,” Fragen said. “It’s easy. It’s entertainment that’s easy on the ears and it doesn’t engage your brain in the way that some classical music does.”

Since their debut in 2005, Celtic Woman has sold 6 million CDs and DVDs worldwide and had two Top 10 album debuts on the Billboard Top 200 and three gold and platinum albums.

Fragen hopes the enchantment carries over to an infatuation with the symphony as well.

“There may be people in there who realize that they actually like classical music,” she said.

Only a portion of the 85-member orchestra will perform Saturday. Musicians will meet for a rehearsal Saturday afternoon before the official performance that evening.

“They use a lot of the stage,” Fragen said. “We have a smaller string section, and they only call for a limited woodwind and brass. It will be interesting to see where they put us and how they have us there and are able to play and still be able to do their leaping and spinning and dancing.”

Under the direction of Barbara Schubert, the DuPage Symphony Orchestra calls Wentz Concert Hall home with five subscription concerts during this, its 58th year.

For more information about the orchestra, visit dupagesymphony.org.