DEC/08 REVIEW – HOLLY HARRIS OF THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

After a non-stop year of performing with orchestras across Canada, Christian singer/songwriter Steve Bell came home Saturday night, bringing his own glad tidings of comfort and joy to a capacity crowd that hung on his every note.

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s special, one-night-only Advent concert featured the enormously popular, Juno-award-winning artist performing a baker’s dozen of songs — including several from his latest CD, Devotion, with the orchestra sensitively led by WSO assistant conductor Rei Hotoda.

The 48-year old performer first appeared with the WSO in November 2006, subsequently leading to a highly successful national tour and release of his CD, Symphony Sessions, that won a Western Canadian Music Award last month.

Having been there for the inaugural concert that got the whole ball rolling, it’s difficult to avoid making comparisons between then and now.

Still intact are band pianist/arranger Mike Janzen’s inspired, beautifully orchestrated arrangements that go far beyond the usual transcription. His exotically flavoured Deep Calls to Deep begins with upright bassist Gilles Fournier’s raspy solo and builds from there. Gone is the Light, composed by Gord Johnson, is a darkly serious reflection that became a showcase for drummer Daniel Roy’s hypnotic tom-tom solo. The infectious, toe-tapping Waiting for Aidan added a lighter touch to the mostly introspective program.

Bell still laces his show with self-deprecating humour and one-line zingers, immediately apologizing for his natty tuxedo jacket while confessing to wearing holey socks.

The program also featured many of Bell’s most popular hits, kicking off with a lively Here by the Water, followed by Wellspring/Holy Lord. The Magnificat and a haunting In the Bleak Midwinter brought seasonal wonder to the show where you could have heard a pin drop.

We even got a little Christmas kitsch. Janzen’s creatively jazzy Holiday Medley included a string of mall tunes that made even Sleigh Bells sound edgy and turned I’ll Be Home for Christmas into a walk on the wild side.

But there were differences. Those lucky souls who were there in 2006 (and likely there were many in the mixed crowd) will remember witnessing Bell’s wide-eyed joy at performing with an orchestra for the first time. The show has become much slicker and more polished over time, with Bell noticeably more at ease onstage. This is not necessarily a bad thing. However, one could not help but fondly recall the magic of that first winter night.

By: Holly Harris
holly.harris@shaw.ca