'Journey BOREALIS'

Pyramid Hill’s multimedia attraction features Chamber Orchestra, Boychoir and BLINK’s Brave Berlin

By Shauna Steigerwald

How far is it from Hamilton to the North Pole?

This holiday season, it’s only a 2.5-mile drive. At least, the organizations collaborating on “Journey BOREALIS” hope it will feel that way.

“Journey BOREALIS” is the latest incarnation of Holiday Lights on the Hill at Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum. A blend of contemporary lighting effects and traditional string lights – more than a million LED bulbs – the 2020 edition will light up the park Nov. 20-Jan. 3.

It’s the 21st year for the Holiday Lights event, which is traditionally holiday lights strung throughout the park. This year, Pyramid Hill is collaborating with multiple artists and organizations – notably Brave Berlin (of Lumenocity and BLINK fame), the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Cincinnati Boychoir – to bring a whole new experience to light at a time when a drivethrough event has the added appeal of social distancing during COVID-19.

“As you turn into Pyramid Hill to experience ‘Journey BOREALIS,’ I like to say that you are leaving Ohio,” said Sean FitzGibbons, Pyramid Hill’s executive director. “At the end of it, you will be at the North Pole.” (Borealis, of course, refers to the aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights.)

Sean FitzGibbons

Visitors will be “surrounded by wonder” as they travel through five different “fantasy zones” of art installations by Brave Berlin and local artists, said Steve McGowan, co-owner of Brave Berlin.

“Think of it as a gameboard or storyboard that magically comes to life through light, sculpture and projection,” he said.

The soundtrack, an original arrangement by composer Daniel Nail, is also a big part of the experience.

“It’s got a really fun, magical, mysterious holiday vibe to it,” McGowan said.

Steve McGowan

And thanks to geolocation, it will sync with the story: Visitors will download a free app, and a GPS will trigger the music as they drive through the different zones.

The soundtrack combines existing music from the Chamber Orchestra’s archives and vocals from the Boychoir.

“While it’s all pulled from the archives, it’s going to feel unique to ‘Journey BOREALIS,’” FitzGibbons said of the music. “It’s a very high conceptual arrangement.”

Expanding musical outreach

LeAnne Anklan, executive director of the Chamber Orchestra, said they worked with composer Nail to comb their recordings for pieces that would work in “BOREALIS.” Their music will be used between zones, while the Boychoir will be heard at each installation, she said.

LeAnne Anklan

“We’re kind of the glue holding each of the sections together – the musical glue,” she said.

“This is beautiful music that people can really engage with,” she added. “It really opens up a big audience for us in what would have been a quiet winter.”

Jason Alexander Holmes, Cincinnati Boychoir’s artistic director, expressed a similar sentiment.

“It really expands our artistry and our reach into the community,” he said.

He’d normally be preparing the boys for a holiday performance at the Aronoff Center. With COVID-19 taking that off the table, the opportunity to participate in “Journey BOREALIS” was welcome.

Jason Alexander

Holmes has been using virtual rehearsals to teach the boys the music. Each of the 56 boys, who range in age from third through 12th grades, then records his voice individually.

“That part has been really cool for me because I’ve been able to hear all of the singers individually and give individual feedback,” he said.

It’s also helping the boys build new skills.

The boys are also lending their faces to Brave Berlin, who will create video portraits that will be used throughout the park, McGowan said.

Coming together

What brought all of these organizations together? Brave Berlin got involved with the Holiday Lights back in 2018, when they created a projection on the facade of the park’s open-air pavilion. It was a hit, and Brave Berlin returned in 2019, creating a projection-mapped sculpture inside the pavilion. Attendance to the event grew with their participation: 30,000 attendees went through last year, FitzGibbons said.

Thanks to funding from The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr. Foundation, Pyramid Hill was able to expand the collaboration with Brave Berlin and to cultivate this year’s new partnerships with Chamber Orchestra and the Boychoir.

Working with local artists and arts organizations is important to FitzGibbons. When COVID-19 closed venues, he worked with various arts groups to bring performances to Pyramid Hill. One was the Chamber Orchestra, which performed a socially distanced concert on the grounds.

Meanwhile, the Boychoir was moving into office space with the CCO. And all of the groups were excited to work together on something new.

FitzGibbons thinks the result will make the annual light show a better fit with Pyramid Hill’s mission of bringing people to art in nature. He hopes to see the show continue to develop, adding more artists and more types of art. This year is a stepping stone to “creating something that grows every year in scope, size and innovation,” he said.

But he isn’t losing sight of the fact that the show is also a beloved family tradition.

“It’s a fine art exhibit, but it is first and foremost a holiday light spectacle,” he said. “The demographic we’re going for is the kids in the backseat wrapped up in a blanket with their faces pressed against the glass in awe.”

If you go...

Where: Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton, Ohio, 45013

When: Open daily Nov. 20-Jan. 3. 6-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 6-10 pm. Friday-Sunday

Cost: Members: $15 per car at any time. Nonmembers: $20 per car for Monday-Thursday; $25 on Friday-Sunday.

Pyramid Hill is partnering with the City of Hamilton’s 17 Strong to offer free admission to Hamilton residents every Tuesday. Proof of residency (such as driver’s licenses or utility bills from October or November 2020) is required to qualify.

www.journeyborealis.com

Holiday Lights at Pyramid Hill (previous year)

More Outdoor Holiday Fun

While many events have been canceled during the pandemic, here are a few family-friendly outings you might consider this holiday season, held outside where you can safely space yourselves. Enjoy, stay safe and Happy Holidays!

PNC Festival of Lights, Cincinnati Zoo

Through Jan. 3, 1-9 p.m. Bonus Nights: January 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. The focus is more on flora than fauna, with 4 million lights seemingly everywhere, but this experience beautifully highlights the zoo’s layout in a way not visible the rest of the year. For tickets and reservations: www.cincinnatizoo.org

Holiday in Lights at Sharon Woods

Through January 2 (including Christmas Eve & Christmas Day). One-mile drive through more than a million lights and hundreds of festive displays. Special-effect glasses available for purchase to enhance your experience. Vehicle tickets: $15. Buses: $45. Walking: $5. www.holidayinlights.com

FOUND Cincinnati, Downtown Cincinnati

Through Dec. 24. Self-guided showcase of holiday events and activations thanks to a new partnership between 3CDC and marketing agency Agar. Extends from The Banks through Downtown and OTR to Findlay Market. www.foundcincinnati.com

Price Hill Holiday Glow Up

Dec. 5 & 6, 7-10 p.m. New drive-through light display within Dunham Recreation Area. Enter from Guerley Road. Free admission, but donations accepted. Also seeking donations of holiday lights. www.facebook.com, search "Price Hill Glow Up"