Saratoga Orchestra to Present Candlelit Concert In the Bleak Midwinter in Freeland

Saratoga Orchestra presented "In the Bleak Midwinter," a candlelit chamber concert that benefitted the local ensemble and brought community musicians and audience together at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island in Freeland on Jan. 20. The program combined familiar choral literature and chamber works from Debussy, Poulenc, Vaughan Williams, Holst, Bruckner and Schubert, creating a meditative post-holiday experience for Whidbey Island residents.

Larry Heidel, executive director of the Saratoga Orchestra and a trombonist in the ensemble, framed the concert as a moment for reflection. “It should be a way for people to come and kind of be in a meditative space after the holidays, perhaps reflect on what’s happening in the community, what’s happening in their lives,” he said. The evening mixed instrumental pieces, trombone quartet arrangements that mimic four vocal parts originally written for choir, and community participation in congregational singing of the hymn "In the Bleak Midwinter."

The program included spoken word poetry read by board members, and an eclectic instrumentation that Heidel said broadened the concert’s reach. “It kind of spans many different musical genres in different combinations of musicians,” Heidel said, pointing to the amplified tam-tam as being one of the more unusual instruments featured in the concert. Karen Heather, a Saratoga Orchestra board member who played piano on several selections, singled out Debussy’s "Footsteps in the Snow" as a highlight. “When I play it, I go into a different place,” she said. “It’s so haunting.”

Local performers on the bill included Melanie Lowey, Susan Baer, Eileen Soskin, Robert Finke, Erica Montgomery, Rickey Barnett, Amber Gauthier, Jonathan Cluts and the Aureate Trombones. Attendance supported the group directly through a suggested $25 donation at the door; the church is at 20103 Highway 525 and Saratoga Orchestra information is available at sowhidbey.com.

For Island County residents, the concert was both cultural programming and community fundraising. Small-scale concerts like this keep local musicians visible, channel volunteer leadership into artistic output, and provide modest revenue streams that help sustain nonprofit arts organizations between larger season-ticket cycles. The inclusion of congregational singing and board-member readings reinforced local ownership of the event and reduced production costs by leveraging volunteer talent.

Looking ahead, Saratoga Orchestra’s blend of chamber repertoire, community participation and modest fundraising suggests a practical model for arts groups on Whidbey Island seeking to balance artistic ambition with tight budgets. For residents who value local music and civic gathering places, continued attendance and modest donations help preserve that seasonal, reflective programming.