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Why does the Cape Symphony’s New Year’s Day Party feature Viennese composers, as well as the Viennese café before the concert? Vienna is the home of many New Year’s celebrations and traditions, with the entire city transformed into a party for two straight days.

Searching for the perfect holiday gift? Here’s an idea. Pictured above are the folks who will soon be portraying the Lion (Jeffrey Clonts), the Scarecrow (Paul Fendler), Dorothy (Jessica Curran), and the Tin Man (Anthony Teixeira). We’re working with our good friends at the Cotuit Center for the Arts to tap into all this fantastic local talent and bring you an extraordinary concert experience in February.

Best known to millions of TV viewers as a top four finalist during the 2007 season of “American Idol,” LaKisha Jones is a powerhouse singer. She electrified “American Idol” viewers with the Dreamgirls showstopper “And I Am Telling You,” and later made it to Broadway in the Oprah Winfrey-produced, Tony Award-winning musical The Color Purple.

What makes a holiday song an enduring classic? One indicator is the number and diversity of artists who perform it. A prime example, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” premiered in 1934 and has been covered by over 200 artists, including everyone from Frank Sinatra and The Beach Boys to The Jackson Five and Rod Stewart.

Holiday music has its origins in religious practices — both in the Christian and Jewish traditions. The first known Christmas hymns became part of services in fourth century Rome; in the 12th century a Parisian monk began to add Christmas-related lyrics to popular songs, creating the earliest carols.

When jazz singer and Berkelee College of Music professor David Thorne Scott did a tour performing with the legendary Four Freshmen, he saw that vintage music — sassy and sweet, danceable and sophisticated — hits the spot for 21st century audiences.