The Kennett Symphony of Chester County will ring in the holidays with “Spirit of the Season” on Dec. 7 at the Kennett High School auditorium. The performance features the symphony's children's chorus.

There will be a pre-concert presentation by Rei Hotoda, who is a candidate for permanent conductor of the symphony. She will discuss her perspectives on the concert repertoire. The concert begins at 8 p.m., and the audience is invited to meet Hotoda after the show. Audience members are also asked to bring non-perishable foods to donate to the Kennett Food Cupboard.

The concert includes Herbert's “March of the Toys,” selections from “The Nutcracker Suite,” the children's chorus performing “The Polar Express” and other holiday songs, along with works by Strauss, Bizet and others. 

Hotoda, a protege of conductor Marin Alsop and winner of the Taki Concordia Conducting Fellowship in 2006, is gaining recognition for her “meticulous ear for detail and a gestural language that produces a beautiful contoured performance,” according to a 2012 newspaper review. She has been a guest conductor with orchestras throughout North America. She completed her third season with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in 2012, and has championed and recorded works by female composers.

Tickets for “Spirit of the Season” are $35 in advance and $40 at the door ($5 for students). Parking is free. For more information, call 610-444-6363 or visit www.kennettsymphony.org.