Clinton Symphony Orchestra will pay tribute to Ukraine and Peanuts creator in holiday concert

CLINTON, Iowa — Clinton Symphony Orchestra will commemorate a folk melody from Ukraine and the soundtrack from a Peanuts TV special that both became beloved holiday songs.

“Carol of the Bells,” originally arranged by Mykolaiv Leontovych from the four-note Shchedryk melody, and Vince Guaraldi’s jazzy composition for Charles Schulz’ “A Charlie Brown Christmas” are the featured pieces for “Holidays with the Symphony.”

Brian Dollinger will conduct the orchestra when it performs 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Vernon Cook Theater at Clinton High School.

General admission is $20. As is custom, students are free while their accompanying adults get in for half price.

“Carol of the Bells” will be part of a medley that also includes “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” “Silver Bells,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” and “Jingle Bells.”

The percussion section — sleigh bells included — will be featured in “Les Patineurs,” better known as the Skater’s Waltz.

“Sleigh Ride” and “A Christmas Festival,” both arranged by Leroy Anderson for the Boston Pops, are on the program.

Leon Jessel’s march “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” — popularized by John Phillip Sousa’s band and then by Morton Gould’s arrangement for the Radio City Music Hall Rockettes — makes this a popular addition to the performance.

The concert includes two other traditional numbers, one venerable and the other fairly recent. The orchestra will perform selections from Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” ballet and a medley of four tracks from the 2004 film “The Polar Express,” whose original composition was by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard.