Pittsburgh is a city where tradition plays a vital role in people's lives. Maybe that's why the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is so symbolic of life here and serves as the city's ultimate cultural ambassador in the United States and abroad.

		Holiday Pops! Where: Heinz Hall, Downtown. When: 8 tonight; 2:30 and 8 p.m. tomorrow; 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: 412-392-4900, or www.pittsburghsymphony.org, or visit the Box Office at Theater Square.

P> Its classical and pops repertoires most often operate in that comfort zone of music that many people like to hear, as was the case with the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops annual Holiday Pops! concert Wednesday night at Heinz Hall.

A blend of classic and contemporary music traditions, it had a special responsibility to showcase its greatest asset -- the musicians themselves -- and to play the songs in a setting that perpetuates a "living" tradition.

The first part, though, failed to capitalize on that. Conductor Daniel Meyer chose to begin with two Victor Herbert pieces, "Hail to Christmas" from "Babes in Toyland," where it was hard to understand the words, and the delicate "March of the Toys."

While they had historical significance -- Herbert was the first conductor of the Pittsburgh Symphony way back when -- the tunes failed to ignite the holiday atmosphere in the hall. They also set up the theme depicting how Pittsburgh celebrates the holidays. "The Twelve Days of Christmas," which Meyer called "the original shopping song," followed delicately on their heels.

Video screens with a meager collection of slides offered slim support for those songs and others like "Skaters' Waltz." The Pops needs to bolster its budget if it's going to continue to do visuals.

But things picked up considerably with the entrance of Christine Jordanoff's Children's Festival Chorus, demonstrating a sleek blend and impeccable diction on "We Need a Little Christmas" and "Away in a Manger." And Robert Page's Mendelssohn Choir demonstrated its vocal splendor in selections from Handel's "Messiah," with soloist Katy Shackleton Williams.

By the second half, things settled into a real musical groove, terrifically highlighted by a visit from Santa Claus. Maybe the Christmas sing-along was a little too long and the snowfall a bit early and a bit much, but with splendid selections including "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," baritone Craig Verm's appearance in "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" and the ever-welcome "Silent Night," the concert reeled in its focus and doused its audience with a generous dose of holiday spirit.

And by the time everyone on stage joined in for the finale, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," we all truly believed it.