l to r: Almeda Berkey, Jackson Berkey, Ron Cooley, Roxanne Layton,
Chuck Pennington, Arnie Roth, Chip Davis

Although I attended the “Mannheim Steamroller” Holiday Tour a couple months ago, this was not just a Christmas concert. The group has gained a major amount of attention with their Christmas series, but the Fresh Aire series, Yellowstone, and Saving the Wildlife projects are included in their show, and we even got a sample from the upcoming release, “Mannheim Steamroller Meets The Mouse.”

Attending a “M.S.” concert is an “experience” - there is no other way to describe it. Before you ever enter the venue, you’re being entertained by people hired locally to act as walk-around characters (snowmen, elves, toy soldiers, etc.) for which “M.S.” provides the costumes and choreography, and local choral groups as well. A 30 x 60 foot Christmas Village is set up inside the venue, a scaled down version with houses, dolls, Christmas Trees and a modified model garden train, not only the first electric model ever made, but believed to be the only radio remote-controlled train in existence. The audience is welcome to go to the center of the venue where the village is set up to check it out and take pictures. One reason “M.S.” has gone on the arena circuit is to increase tickets sales to reduce ticket prices. This is a family evening, and the group doesn’t want children to be deprived of the experience because of the price. I saw MANY bright-eyed, full of wonder children at this concert, and you could tell they were more than a little awe-struck. Actually, so was I!

Video plays a large part in the “Mannheim Steamroller” concert experience, both for lighting effects and the videos that are played. Until the concert starts, the “M.S.” logo is projected on all the screens, and at times it does some switching and dancing around with the music. The program opened with the overture, “Aire On A G String,” then moved immediately to “Joy To The World” from the “Christmas In The Aire” album. After all, this WAS the holiday tour! With the principal musicians featured at the front of the stage, (Chip Davis - drums, Jackson Berkey - featured keyboard artist, Almeda Berkey - supporting keyboard artist, Ron Cooley - guitar and fretted instruments, Roxanne Layton - recorders and percussion, Chuck Penington - conductor), they’re supported by a full orchestra. On this opening number, everyone played and filled the arena with the power of the “Mannheim Steamroller” sound.

“Midnight On A Full Moon” from “Fresh Aire III” was a rock tinged number with great lighting and video effects and a variety of instruments lowered from the rafters just for this song. The moon shining over the trees was the visual image that closed this unusual sounding piece. A harpsichord intro brought “Pass The Keg” to life, accompanied by big horns and video of the changing seasons. Strobe lights, an eerie intro moving into piano, then flute, then strings began “Rainbows” from “Fresh Aire VII. This soft, pretty, song had a lot of emphasis on keyboards, and as the percussion built, lights were flashed out at the audience in all directions.

Wolfgang Ameadues Penguin (yes, I spelled it right) from Saving The Wildlife was up next. There was a really cool video that accompanied this number, ranging from real penguins appearing to play instruments and one playing conductor. The music was fun, and the photos changed from wildlife to people, all wearing penguin noses as they played their instruments. A really cute presentation. This was followed by Dancing Flames from Fresh Aire IV, another interesting song with a video presentation of astronauts and space. Africa, also from Saving The Wildlife featured a most unusual video of reversed out wild animals such as zebras, giraffes, lions, etc. - graphical representations of the real animals, interspersed with live video of the animals as well. I think the name of the song kind of gives away the type of music playing.

Moving on, Ocean Suite, included Malibu Pee Wee from Impressions, Under The Sea from Mannheim Steamroller Meets The Mouse and Come Home To The Sea from Fresh Aire VI. All the songs included sounds of crashing waves, seagulls, underwater sounds and the kind of music that just makes you think of the ocean. The video for Malibu Pee Wee featured Chips daughter when she was a toddler, playing on the beach, playing daddy's piano and general home movie type scenes, interspersed with sky and ocean scenes. Under The Sea was not recognizable at first for what it was, and the videos were not animated, but rather real underwater footage. A most interesting version of this song (see review in Feature this issue). During Come Home From The Sea the video concentrated on blue skies, birds, the ocean and various combinations accompanying the music.

NOTE: I mention the videos because they are such an integral part of the show. When you read the following information from the program, you begin to understand just HOW critical the videos and various sounds from nature that cant be duplicated in a live show become. Many of the special audio effects could only be produced in the recording studio or live in nature. Some of the elements are tracked during the performance on multi-track recorders and played in synchronization with the musicians. The musicians maintain perfect sync with the visual and special audio effects by listening while they play to a digital metronome counting clicks through the earphones they wear. I was really impressed when I read this AFTER the show, because everything WAS in perfect sync.

The last song before the intermission was Deck The Halls from both Mannheim Steamroller Christmas and The Christmas Angel. Even after all these years, that song sends chills up my spine, and to hear it live for the first time was incredible. Again the audience was treated to a sneak preview during this song, because the video was clips from the NBC Special The Christmas Angel aired 12/19/98. Pretty awesome to see, and since I'm a big fan of ice skating, I recognized the main players just from their style, since they were in costumes that covered their faces (at least some of them). I made a point to ask when I talked to the group after the concert, and I guessed right. By the way, keep an eye out for that special to be became an annual holiday television tradition. Its a great story, great music and great skating!

Mannheim Steamroller

After intermission was the Christmas part of the program. Starting out with Christmas Sweet, six songs of the renaissance type were combined, and while the principals kind of sat together at the center of the stage, the video screens displayed what would have been a medieval Christmas celebration - right down to the castle, the costumes, the food, the dance, the drink, the servants carrying in platter after platter of food and even the entertainment in the form of acrobats, jugglers, dancers, etc. The story played out across all four screens, and every now and then live actors made their way across the front of the stage in perfect sync with their counterparts on the screen. Really something to see!

The music that accompanied this video and live action was Gagliarda from Christmas In The Aire, In Dulci Jublio from A Fresh Aire Christmas and Wassail, Wassail, Carol Of The Birds, I Saw Three Ships and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, all from Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. These are all the renaissance/harpsichord/recorder/mandolin/string type songs from the Christmas series. The music was great, of course, and the whole . . .Sweet was very comedic and fun.

The balance of the concert consisted of Christmas songs, but the surprises weren't over yet. The principals returned to their various instruments and played Christmas Lullaby from Christmas In The Aire, then moved on to Little Drummer Boy from A Fresh Aire Christmas. This was the most cleverly done Christmas song of the concert. First it started snowing inside the whole arena during the opening strains, accompanied by a building toys video. That was pretty fun. Then the video played out, alternating a toy drummer, ballerina and bear coming to life, with live actors taking the same parts at times, as the song progressed. This song went over really big with the audience. Next up was Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer from Christmas In The Aire.

Carol Of The Bells from Christmas In The Aire was a dramatic, powerful number that the entire orchestra went full out on. Another chills up your spine song that was totally amazing live. Its kind of hard to describe the music, but if you own any of the Christmas albums, pull them out and imagine them 10 times better than what your stereo delivers. Closing the show was Going To Another Place from Fresh Aire II, and it was a beautiful ending to this wonderful night.

Of course nobody in that arena was leaving without at least one encore, and Mannheim Steamroller took their places on stage once again to regale us with Stille Nacht (Silent Night) from Mannheim Steamroller Christmas. This has to be the most beautiful rendition I've ever heard of Silent Night on the album, and hearing it live was absolutely astounding. I cant say enough how the work and behind the scenes attention to detail, as well as what happens on the stage, makes these Christmas classics take on a whole new life.

The final encore was Angels We Have Heard On High, and again, scenes from The Christmas Angel played on the video screens, this time scenes related to the Angel, rather than the other characters in the story. To a screaming, stomping, standing ovation, the members of Mannheim Steamroller left the stage for the last time. Nobody went home disappointed I'm sure, and Ill never forget the night I got to see and hear the group in person.

On a personal note, Id like to thank Kathy and Dan in the publicity department at American Gramaphone for helping us get an advance on the Mannheim Steamroller Meets The Mouse album for our Feature this month, and for inviting us to the reception following the concert in December. I had the opportunity to meet all of the principals of the group, and they were just really great people. Chip Davis and the rest of the crew gave us such a warm welcome, took the time to talk to us in a room full of other people who were invited, and I really appreciate the time they spent with us. If Mannheim Steamroller comes to your town, run, don't walk, to the nearest place you can get tickets and buy them. I promise you wont be disappointed!