Traveling into another dimension of music was never made easier.
All it took was a little "Fresh Aire" performed by Mannheim Steamroller to get the audience off on a voyage into space.Mannheim Steamroller embarked the audience on the journey as it opened its six-show run in Salt Lake City with "Escape From the Atmosphere."
The musical number, along with multimedia slides and videos depicting space travel, launched listeners into a dimension of music Mannheim Steamroller composer/
producer Chip Davis calls eclectic.
By blending classical music with pop through the use of old and modern instrumentation, Davis and his group managed to take concertgoers through the "Morning" (from Fresh Aire III), past "Rainbows" (from the latest Fresh Aire album, 7), into "Africa" (Saving the Wildlife) and then having them "Come Home to the Sea" (Fresh Aire VI).
"This is our favorite city to play in the U.S. and it's great to be back," Davis said, after concertgo-ers ended the opening songs with enthusiastic applause.
With each musical number, Mannheim Steamroller seemed to take the audience with them as their minds began to paint images to match the music performed on stage. Even without the multime-dia production, the special lighting effects and recordings of the crashing surf and chirping birds that accompanied the music placed concertgoers right in the picture.
The magic felt from "Alchemy" (Fresh Aire 7) served as a good introduction for the second half of the show, which was devoted to the magical season of Christmas and the music that comes with it.
By far, the Christmas music was the highlight of the concert. With the holiday right around the corner, snow on the ground and streets lined with Christmas lights, a festive mood permeated the theater.
"Traditions of Christmas" (A Fresh Aire Christmas) brought about visions of sitting in front of a decorated tree on Christmas Eve with a fire burning in the fireplace.
The focus turned to Mannheim Steamroller in "Christmas Sweet"; however, when they were joined by musicians wearing costumes of the period in performing five numbers: "In Dulci Jubilo," "Wassail, Wassail," "Carol of the Birds," "I Saw Three Ships," and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen."
Authentic period wind instruments and the harpsichord added to the numbers. But the performers made the renditions truly entertaining as they added a few extra notes, tapped their feet or even threw wads of paper at each other.
"Little Drummer Boy" featured Davis' talents on percussion with its strong back beat and rhythmic complexity. Santa's workshop came alive through video as the toys marched to the music. Davis ended the number in perfect sync with the little drummer boy on the screen. (The musicians wear earphones during the performance to listen to a digital metronome to help maintain studiolike precision.)
The group ended the concert with the light and upbeat music of "Going to Another Place" (Fresh Aire III). But the audience wasn't ready to go just yet.
In an encore performance, Mannheim Steamroller performed two Christmas favorites - "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night" - which featured keyboardists Jackson and Almeda Berkey and violinist Arnie Roth.
Davis' talents were also boasted throughout the show by Ron Cooley on bass guitar and the Mannheim Steamroller orchestra directed by Chuck Pennington. Eugene Jelesnik's Salt Lake Philharmonic Orchestra joined with the Mannheim orchestra for the concert.
Davis' two Christmas albums, "Mannheim Steamroller Christmas" and "A Fresh Aire Christmas," were recently certified double platinum with orders this year already exceeding a million copies. The two albums are the largest selling Christmas albums in the last 30 years. Worldwide sales top more than 6 million. So if you don't have concert tickets, join the masses at the record shop.
For those people who have tickets to the remaining four concerts, you won't be disappointed. For those who couldn't get tickets, try again next time. It's well worth the trip.