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Music brings people together. With the holidays now in high gear, the South Valley Symphony welcomes everyone in Hollister, Gilroy, San Martin and Morgan Hill communities to celebrate the joy and cheer of the season with festive symphonic music at the “Holiday Panorama” concert at the Gavilan Community College Theater 4 p.m. Dec. 13.At this concert, we will honor the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris with a special piece composed by Sobrato High School graduate Christopher Niemann. The young man's piece is very poignant and personal, and I feel amazed that something of this quality was composed in a few days. Niemann told me he needed to write something to use music as healing for what happened in Paris. In a matter of days he completed a full-orchestral piece as a remembrance of those who died in Paris.The symphony made the decision to have the orchestra perform the new piece at the winter concert because the holiday season is a “season of giving” and the music can help people heal after a tragedy.A 2013 graduate of Sobrato where he first developed his talent in music composition, Niemann, 20, said he hopes the audience will feel motivated to move on from this tragedy after hearing the composition.“Being barely old enough to remember the 9/11 attacks and living through the aftermath, I remember the sensation of being extremely helpless,” he said. “Everyone from around the world watching such terrible events happen through the news and wanting to help when all you could do was watch. I never thought that I would have to experience that feeling of helplessness again. The idea to create a piece in honor of the victims came through the feeling of helplessness; because it’s very hard to just sit and do nothing when people around you are suffering.”Niemann has composed and conducted several pieces performed by the South Valley Symphony, including at the Oct. 10 concert a special composition called “In the Halls of the Overlook” based on the Stephen King novel “The Shining.”The selection of other pieces at the concert will give the audience a festive feeling for the holidays. Top billing at the concert will go to two guest artists—soprano Milena Georgieva who will sing Mozart’s “Exsultate Jubilate” and soloist Greg Chambers performing John Williams’ “Escapades for Saxophone & Orchestra.” The orchestra will also perform selections from Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Sleeping Beauty.” Leroy Anderson’s “Christmas Festival” will complete the concert with a medley of songs taking the audience into the festive spirit of the season.Greg Chambers is a music teacher at Sobrato High School and a master of the saxophone. The solo “Escapades” that he will perform is based on Williams’ film score for the 2002 Steven Spielberg movie “Catch Me If You Can.”Along with the Mother’s Day concert at the San Juan Bautista Mission, the symphony’s holiday concert is so popular that it usually sells out, so buy your tickets early online on the symphony’s website atsouthvalleysymphony.org or at Morgan Hill’s BookSmart store, Gilroy’s Porcellas Music and First Street Cafe, Hollister’s PostalGraphics or San Juan Bautista’s The Mission Gallery.We encourage families to share the festive fun of the holidays by attending the upcoming concert. Children can attend for free with accompanying paying adult (but the child must get a ticket to be admitted). Students with identification can also attend the concerts for free. During the intermission, I invite children on the stage to learn about the various instruments.The South Valley Symphony is a family, and we welcome everyone to celebrate the season at our Holiday Panorama concert this Sunday.Anthony Quartuccio is the Music Director and Conductor of the South Valley Symphony.

The “Focus” Safe Parking Program was created by a collaboration of the City of Morgan Hill, Morgan Hill Police Department, County of Santa Clara, Morgan Hill Unified School District and the Gilroy Compassion Center. The site is located at the Morgan Hill Bible Church...