Sleigh bells and tiny tots with their eyes all aglow can mean only one thing—Mahler’s Fourth Symphony!

The perfect symphony for the holiday season is all about heaven as seen through the eyes of a child. Based on the song Das Himmlischer leben (a child's heaven) from the Youth's Magic Horn cycle, it beautifully captures a fairy tale world of innocence and fantasy. There is no place for the day of judgment or purgatory, let alone hell (though Mahler does inject a sardonic twist with the inclusion of a “fiddler” in the second movement who is required to play a second instrument tuned up a tone to give it a brighter, more strident, demonic effect). But even the pathologically neurotic Gustav Mahler cannot allow himself to dwell on the dark side here. He is happily composing, it is summer and he is in his beloved mountains with a new love in his life.

So we enter a heavenly landscape populated by all our favorite Saints. The disciples are in charge of the hunting and fishing and gardening, so food is in abundance. The various game--deer, hares, oxen and fishes--veritably throw themselves onto the grill. Vegetables and fruit leap out of the earth and off the vine, notwithstanding the time of year (they don't seem to have seasons in heaven). St. Martha (remember Lazarus) is the obvious candidate as cook and even St. Ursula has a good laugh (a bit of a stretch after witnessing the murder of 11,000 virgins). Finally St. Cecilia is put in charge of the musical entertainment. Just picture the orchestra—every great musician who has ever lived...and died. I wonder who might have been the concertmaster? No doubt Heifetz and Kreisler would have fought over it. Joachim might have had something to say. And who could deny Paganini his place. The keyboard continuo would be a toss-up between Horowitz, Rubinstein, Rachmaninoff, Liszt, Beethoven, Mozart, Handel and Bach. Take your pick.

And then who could possibly conduct such an orchestra? I hear that God was up for it, but was pipped at the post by Maazel!

Take a Bow. Music Director Grant Llewellyn (far right) following the North Carolina Symphony's performance of Mahler's Ninth Symphony in May 2011.