Quartet 515 promised to put on a lively holiday-themed performance Sunday, and they did not disappoint the 60 people who heard their chamber music in the Perry Performing Arts Center.
Perry Fine Arts spokesperson Marilyn Bode made a few brief announcements before introducing the players at the 2 p.m. performance.
The four musicians — violinist Nina Liu, violinist Hanna Wolle, cellist Paul Virgilio and violinist Joyce Beyer — stuck mostly with the festively familiar Christmas songs, pleasing the people with “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “A Winter Wonderland,” “Carol of the Drum,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and a pair of Christmas medley that wove as many as six popular holiday melodies into the pieces.
The ensemble also ventured a little ways into the classical repertoire, with Mozart’s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” J. S. Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Rhosymedre.”
Quartet 515 closed their holiday set with an audience sing-a-long rendition of “Silent Night.” Violinist Nina Liu briefly explained the plan before thanking the Perry community for hosting them and wishing everyone happy holidays.
Quartet 515 is a subset of the Des Moines Symphony. When not playing in the full orchestra, Liu, Wolle, Beyer and Virgilio indulge their deep appreciation for chamber music, which led them to form their quartet and begin producing holiday music concerts.
The Al Welsh Orchestra will play Jan. 22 at 2 p.m. in the Perry Performing Arts Center in the next in the series of Perry Fine Arts concerts, which are free and open to the public. Free-will donations are accepted. The Perry Performing Arts Center at 1200 18th St. in Perry is handicapped accessible.
What will it take to get more people to attend these fine concerts? Sixty people attending for a community the size of Perry is a disgrace.