Kurt Bestor Christmas Concert

I am completely obsessed with listening to Christmas music performed live right now so I spontaneously decided to get a ticket to Kurt Bestor's Christmas concert last night.  Kurt Bestor is a Utah-based composer known for his beautiful arrangements of Christmas music and he has performed a series of Christmas concerts at Abravanel Hall for the past 28 years (next year he is moving to the new Eccles Theater).  I've gone to a few of his concerts in years past but I think last night's was his best one yet!  He began with "Carol of the Bells" with the Wesley Bell Ringers and continued with "Joy to the World," "What Child Is This," "Christmastime Is Here," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas."  He had an amazing vocalist named Lexie Walker perform a beautiful rendition of his most well-known song, "Prayer for the Children," and it brought tears to my eyes. One of Kurt Bestor's most beloved traditions is to write an original carol each year.  This year he was inspired by the tragedy in Paris and wrote "Carol of the Lights" because Paris is known as the City of Lights.  I loved it and the message of peace on earth and good will toward man.  He ended the first act with a "Christmas Concerto" featuring many different Christmas carols with dueling soloists on violin and electric guitar.  After the intermission, he brought back the Wesley Bell Ringers for "Let It Snow"  and performed his own version of "Twelve Days of Christmas" featuring all of the instruments on stage.  He brought back Lexie Walker for lovely renditions of "Toyland," "When a Child is Born," and "Angels We Have Heard on High."  Walker has such a beautiful and powerful voice!  Next, Bestor performed "While By My Sheep, I Watched at Night," which I had never heard before, and "I Wonder as I Wander."  It just isn't Christmas to me until I hear a live version of my very favorite Christmas song "O Holy Night" and it happened last night with a wonderful version featuring Bestor on flugelhorn.  It gave me goosebumps!  Continuing one of his long-standing traditions, Bestor selected an audience member to narrate 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to his original accompaniment.  Last night's narrator was Chad and he was an absolute hoot.  The concert ended with a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" with audience participation.  For an encore, he performed a Celtic version of "Ding Dong Merrily" which I loved because I sang it in college!  I am so glad I got a ticket because I thoroughly enjoyed this concert.