Introduction
Every once in a while you have a musical experience that seems to reach deep down inside and move you. If pressed to explain such an encounter, even the most articulate tend to stumble.
G.K.Chesterton, one of the greatest writers and thinkers of the 20th century and a person rarely at a loss for words, once said that “Art is born when the temporary touches the eternal. He went on to compare an encounter with good art to an unstoppable force meeting an immoveable post. While the image might be unsettling (especially if we imagine ourselves to be the post!), those that have had their very being stirred by art can relate. Music, particularly symphonic music, seems uniquely adept at touching what we might call our “soul”.
Steve Bell – The Symphony Sessions is a musical concert experience that seems to consistently occupy this high ground. From its sold-out World Premiere with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra on November 17th, 2006, throughout the very successful initial subsequent 22 concert engagements, this combination of gifted artist, outstanding musical art and symphony seems to have about it some quality greater than the sum of the parts.
In fact, these concerts have been so outstanding the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra invited Steve and his musical collaborators to put together a second complete concert, this time an offering for the Christmas season. The result was Steve Bell – The Feast of Seasons, which played to sold-out audiences at three Winnipeg concerts and throughout a further five concert tour with the WSO.
Featuring the stellar songwriting, evocative vocals and world-class acoustic guitar work of internationally acclaimed multi-JUNO award winner Steve Bell, and complimented by front line players Mike Janzen (piano), Gilles Fournier (upright bass) and Daniel Roy (percussion), these are concerts that, unlike many “pops” concerts, fully engage the power, beauty, voicing and articulation of the symphony.
The arrangements and scores for both concerts were prepared by Mike Janzen. Mike has accompanied Steve Bell as pianist on his last four albums and five national tours, and has a substantial experiential familiarity with both the singer and the songs that form the essence of this music. From the outset, James Manishen, J.F. Phaneuf and other WSO leaders strongly encouraged Mike to make this “a concert where the orchestra gets to really play”. Mike took that to heart, and as the accompanying materials make clear, excelled in accomplishing that goal. Overall audience response as well as critical acclaim, speak eloquently of the impact of Steve Bell’s skillful, engaging and entertaining performance, the captivating playing of the band, and the elevating power of the orchestra. Steve Bell – The Symphony Sessions Tour stands ready to deliver either of these outstanding and artful concert experiences to your audience.
Letters of Interest from symphony orchestras interested in making one of these two concerts a part of their Concert Series, may be directed to the following:
Dave Zeglinski / Steve Bell Manager
dave@signpostmusic.com (or) 1.800.854.3499 ext.21
Signpost Music
1578 Erin Street
Winnipeg, MB R3E 2T1