Mannheim Steamroller at the Eccles

I absolutely love Mannheim Steamroller but it has been a few years since I last saw them in concert.  Tickets to this year's shows at the Eccles Theatre sold out very quickly so I was thrilled when another show was added and I immediately got a ticket.  However, when the ticket arrived in the mail, I realized that the show was for 3:30 in the afternoon!  I had to leave school as soon as the bell rang yesterday but I made it in time and I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  Chip Davis created Mannheim Steamroller as a fusion between classical and contemporary music and I especially love his arrangements of Christmas music.  The concert began with "Celebration," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Catching Snowflakes On Your Tongue," "Mere Image," "Hallelujah," "Angels We Have Heard On High," "Greensleeves," and "Christmas Lullaby."  I felt so lucky to be able to hear my favorite Christmas song for the third time this season when they played "Cantique De Noel (O Holy Night)."  It is such a beautiful version of the song and it gave me goosebumps!  I also really loved the song "Fairies" because it is a rock and roll version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.  They ended the first half of the concert with "Carol of the Bells" which is one of their most popular songs.  After the intermission they played "Wonders" from their latest album, Exotic Spaces.  This wasn't a Christmas song but I really liked it.  In honor of the 35th Anniversary of their first Christmas album, Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, they performed all of the songs on it in order!  This made me so happy because I have probably listened to that album hundreds of times and I love every song, including "Deck the Halls," "We Three Kings," "Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella" (I have now heard this song performed three times this season, as well), "Coventry Carol," "Good King Wenceslas," "Wassail, Wassail," "Carol of the Birds," "I Saw Three Ships," "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen," and "Stille Nacht (Silent Night)."  This concert was so wonderful and it was just what I needed after a difficult day at school (I am counting the days until winter break)!  The concert tomorrow night at the Eccles is sold out but I definitely recommend checking them out if they come to SLC again!