I think I have established the fact that I absolutely love hearing Christmas music performed live so it should be no surprise that I bought a ticket as soon as I found out that Mannheim Steamroller was coming back to SLC for a Christmas concert! I have seen them several times and I usually thoroughly enjoy it. Musicians Bobby Kunkle, John Blasucci, Ron Cooley, Roxanne Layton, Becky Kia, and Logan Penington, along with the Mannheim Steamroller Orchestra, performed music originally arranged by Chip Davis (who doesn't tour with the band any more) with images projected on a large screen behind them on stage at Abravanel Hall yesterday. I really enjoyed their classic Christmas songs such as "Deck the Halls," "We Three Kings," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "Joy to the World," "Good King Wenceslas," and "Carol of the Bells" and I was very happy to hear my favorite Christmas song, "O Holy Night," performed live once again. However, I was a little bit disappointed that the second half of the concert featured many songs from their Fresh Aire albums. I was unfamiliar with many of these pieces and I would have much preferred to hear Christmas music in a performance billed as a Christmas concert. I was also a little bit disappointed that the videos shown on the giant screen were exactly the same as those shown at previous Mannheim Steamroller concerts. Again, I really loved hearing the Christmas music, and I am glad that they ended the concert with a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night," but I'm not sure that this concert was worth the money I paid for it.
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