Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christmas Eve and Other Stories

Today, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I have not heard a lot of TSO music, and I was thinking of Mannheim Steamroller at first when I started to listen to this album. This 1996 album was given to me a few years ago. Titled Christmas Eve and Other Stories, it tells the tale of an angel sent to earth to bring back to God “the one thing that best represents everything good that has been done in the name of this day.”  A little girl helps a bartender see a way to reach out to a young woman. The satisfied wish that the angel took back to heave was the wish of a soul for the happiness of another.

Such an album would not normally appeal to me, but this worked for me. The pick-up for me comes with the children’s choir singing “A Star to Follow.” This song is followed by three instrumentals: “First Snow,” “The Silent Nutcracker,” and “A Mad Russian’s Christmas.” Okay. Unfamiliar overall, but bits of familiar carols are tucked in sufficiently to keep me listening. After this, I get somewhat bogged down as we go through other songs. “Good King Joy” is simply not my style of music. I clicked through it. Now I come to the reason I play this album. It is this song: “Ornament.” I love this melody, I love the voice. Google and YouTube searches tell me it is Tommy Farese. And I agree with the comments that his raspy voice makes the song! Totally! This is the whole reason I like this album. Go and enjoy just this song on YouTube.

And Tommy continues in the song “Old City Bar,” followed by “Promises to Keep,” with the children’s choir again. Nice. Tommy comes back for “This Christmas Day.” “An Angel Returned” is joyous finale to the story, and it is followed by what that album insert calls a post script with two pleasant instrumentals. There is no doubt that it is Tommy who makes the album for me. I can see that this would have been a great tour show to enjoy.

Listened to with less analysis, the album is much more enjoyable. Could bump it to 5.

Let’s see. I’ll list what I have rated so far. And I’ll include the first album I discussed. Four so far.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories