Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at the Eccles

I have had a lot of fun seeing Christmas performances this holiday season!  I had one more last night featuring Mannheim Steamroller at the Eccles Theater and, as always, it was a wonderful show.  Mannheim Steamroller is known for incorporating authentic period instruments, such as harpsichords, lutes, and recorders, with synthesizers so their sound is a mash-up of Renaissance music and rock and roll and I love it.  They performed their arrangements of "Joy to the World," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," "Greensleeves," "Good King Wenceslas," "O Little Town of Bethlehem," and "Angels We Have Heard on High."  I really enjoyed "Catching Snowflakes on Your Tongue," which Chip Davis wrote as a lullaby for his three children, because the theme played by the recorder made me imagine a snowflake floating in the air.  I also enjoyed "Fairies" because it is a rock and roll version of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky.  They ended their first set with "Cantique de Noel (O Holy Night)" and this was the fifth time that I was able to hear my favorite Christmas song live.  It was an incredibly beautiful version!  After the intermission, they performed their well-known arrangements of "Deck the Halls," "We Three Kings," "Gagliarda," "Christmas Lullaby," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and my favorite Mannheim Steamroller song, "Pat-A-Pan."  In addition to their Christmas music they also performed "Morning," which was written after the devastating fires in Yellowstone, and the songs "Come Home to the Sea" and "Dancing Flames."  They ended the concert with "Carol of the Bells," which is one of their best known songs.  For the encore, they performed "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht" and "Hallelujah," which is another favorite.  This concert was a great way to end the holiday season!  I almost didn't get a ticket because I've seen them so many times but I'm glad I changed my mind!  There is a matinee and evening show today and I highly recommend getting a ticket (go here) for one last dose of holiday cheer!