Seasonal Waku Waku

It's that time of year when Waku Waku meets Christmas.  There have been some lovely arrangements in the orchestra for instrument demonstrations and they just keep coming.  I admit a fondness for the work of a certain couple, a clarinetist and bassoon player, who churn out winner after winner, a new one at every concert.  This morning they blessed us with "Dreidel, Dreidel Dreidel," (which got pretty raucous in the repeat) and "Felice Navidad," (for clarinet and bassoon duet respectively); this afternoon the clarinets left us an unresolved cliff hanger in their rendition of "Sleigh Ride," to be happily picked up by their friends in the bassoon section.  Across the orchestra there is seasonal cheer, intermittently peppered by pop songs, instrument excerpts, TV show theme songs and such.  Of course there are repeat performances and more predictable characters than others, but when the members of the orchestra are let unleashed in such a Waku Waku frenzy, the results will be entertaining.  It's as certain as the obligatory closing frippery of the piccolo solo.