Kurt Bestor, engineer.
You might not think of him like that. Musician? Certainly. Composer? Yes, indeed. Arranger? One of the best.
But builder? Of course.
Because one of the things that makes Bestor so good at all those other things is his ability to build bridges. Using notes and instrumentation rather than girders and steel, he constructs bridges between musical genres —classical and jazz, for example; between cultures — everything from African drums to Celtic flutes to Scottish bagpipes shows up in his music; between generations — he blends traditional and contemporary with masterful grace.
And in the end, the strongest bridge he builds is really between hearts and souls.
That's one reason audiences keep coming back; one reason his Christmas concerts have become such a firmly entrenched tradition in the state.
It touches him, he says, how many people come to his concerts year after year; how many tell him it wouldn't be Christmas without his music. At the same time, it gives him a deep sense of responsibility — to keep the concerts fresh, to add new elements, while at the same time, holding true to his roots. Building a bridge, as it were, from year to year to year that connects as well as opens up new vistas.
And this year's concerts will be no different.
One of the new elements this year will be an up-tempo version of "Carol of the Bells," featuring a local handbell choir. Doing the arrangement was a challenge, Bestor said. "Writing music for hand-bell choirs is not something you usually study in school."
Another of the surprises will be an additional guest artist. "If you like the music of Andrea Bocelli, well, this guy gives him a run for the money," was all he'd say.
Bestor will again have an original song. And a segment of the concert will also feature music from around the world.
One thing that doesn't change from year to year is Bestor's abiding love of the music. Carols and songs are such an integral part of the holiday, he explains; one of the oldest of our Christmas traditions, with roots in some of the pagan practices that were incorporated into the celebration of Christ's birth. Some of the songs have been sung for centuries. "I love those old carols," he says. "I tend to gravitate to those." Carols such as "Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella" and "Lo, How a Rose Ere Blooming." Songs that he infuses with new meaning and rich emotion.
And that's why people come to his concerts, he says. "They 're not really coming to see me. They come for the feeling of Christmas, for the sharing of music."
"It's a collaborative effort. I need the audience as much as they need me. I like to think of it as a triad, a connection between the music, the musicians and the audience. It's very much a team effort."
And that's true at Christmas — as well as in everything else he does.
Bestor has just returned from Prague, in the Czech Republic, where he had a chance to conduct and record some of his music. "It's an incredible city, so perfectly European, a place where Mozart was." And the musicians he worked with were great. "We didn't speak the same language — until we started to play, and then we understood each other very well."
Music does that, he says. "It's a natural part of us, from the very beginning. Life is divided by rhythms and melodies. We learn to walk by rhythm. It's not some science we had to invent; we only had to invent ways to notate it."
It's not surprising that someone who feels music that deeply is able to help others see and feel through his work; not surprising that his credits include more than 30 film scores and over 40 themes for television programs or that he's done work for ballet. Or that his music reflects eclectic tastes and influences.
"I'm not just a person that sits down to write notes. I have to think of some image, some memory that I want to convey. I like to marry images with music, whether it's done for stage or screen or for the mind."
Future projects include some things for the Olympics. And he's exploring the possibilities of a project that will help take music and the arts into the schools. "The humanities make us human," he says. "They should not be an optional thing, some luxury just enjoyed by the rich. The arts can help us solve a lot of social problems."
At Christmastime — or at any other time — music can take us to new levels; can add depth and meaning to our lives; can help us connect, both heart and soul.
Especially in the hands of a master bridge-builder.
E-mail: carma@desnews.com