A Theatre Organ Christmas - a COVID-19 Christmas Concert with Will Shaw, Keith Evans and Friends

Enjoy Christmas favourites from Will Shaw, Keith Evans, Phil Leader and Miles Allen. Featuring the George Wright Signature Series, Allen Theatre Organ and Phil Leader's Hauptwerk, Paramount 3/20 VTPO set up. The featured Allen GW4 is installed in the music room of the residence of Keith and Katherine Evans.

As with our previous production, this music is complimentary, but, please consider supporting a charity close to your heart or please donate to our featured charity for this production - The Medical Detection Dogs. Please follow this link to donate to a fantastic charity.

https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org....

Please subscribe to the channel for future content and thank you for watching. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at Mostyn Theatre Organ Productions.

Our special thanks to our superb Technical Director Phil Leader & amazing Mastering Engineer Neil Cowlan, (www.ruggedaudiomedia.com) for all of their expert work in the making of this project, both highly skilled professionals of the industry.

To see the specification of the organ and listen to the first album, please click this link    • We Got Rhythm - Will Shaw & Keith Evans at...  

Track List:

0:00 - Intro
0:23 - Let It Snow - Will Shaw
3:44 - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Will Shaw & Miles Allen
8:58 - Santa Baby - Will Shaw & Miles Allen
13:17 - Count Your Blessings - Philip Leader
18:22 - The Christmas Song - Keith Evans & Miles Allen
22:48 - Frosty The Snowman - Will Shaw
26:48 - What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? - Philip leader
32:32 - A Christmas Fantasia - Keith Evans
46:54 - Credits and Outro

Sleeve notes by Stephen Dutfield.

"2020 has been one of the most extraordinary years that most of us have known or indeed will ever live through. However, when future generations look back on this year, it will not only be remembered for the tragedy of a worldwide pandemic - it will also be seen as the time when ‘alternative’ forms of communication came of age. Alongside this increased activity, and against a background of the complete cessation of live performances, we’ve seen a wide range of musical performances distributed on the worldwide web.

It was back in May that I was privileged to be asked to write a few words about Mostyn Theatre Organ Productions’ first release ‘We Got Rhythm’ which featured Keith Evans and Will Shaw at the console of the magnificent Allen GW4 digital theatre organ installed at Keith’s home. This audio album was released on YouTube and attracted worldwide attention from a legion of music lovers hearing a fresh approach to this musical medium. This first album came about when both musicians were experiencing an enforced domestic lockdown along with the rest of the UK. Move the calendar on to the Autumn, and it brought with it both another lockdown – and another album!

‘A Theatre Organ Christmas’ (subtitled A Covid-19 Christmas Concert with Will Shaw, Keith Evans and Friends) contains yet more musical surprises and delights in equal measure. The first is that, along with the all-enveloping sound of the beautifully voiced and regulated Allen organ, on this YouTube release we’re also treated to video of the performances, in a programme featuring a wide variety of familiar festive music. The second comes in the form of the ‘friends’...

Philip Leader has worked in the music industry for over four decades and is a specialist in the field of authoring software for digital keyboards. However, his talent as a performer isn’t to be ignored. Following in the footsteps of his father, who was a fine and very highly regarded exponent of both the electronic and theatre organ, Phil combines his custom keyboard set-up with Hauptwerk, running the Paramount 3/20 sample set, to provide a contrasting, more intimate “studio” sound than the GW4’s “auditorium” presence.

Miles Allen is a young California-based musician, composer and teacher. A multi-instrumentalist, his tool of choice for his contributions to this album is the Trumpet. Combining with Will Shaw’s jazz interpretations the two entwine perfectly, reminiscent of the 1980s duet performances of legends Dick Hyman and Ruby Braff.

Philip and Miles provide the perfect musical friendship to Keith and Will. The programme ranges from classics from the Great American Songbook to the most traditional Christmas carols, all presented in a fresh, exciting and, above all, thoroughly musical manner. In these excellent recordings, once again, the quality of both the arrangements and performances by all the artistes shines through like a torch – lighting the way towards what will hopefully be a happier and healthier 2021, which will see us being able to enjoy all of these artistes live. As Christmas presents go, this album is the best!"

The new concert bench and plinth were made by Andrew Willans and team, of Willans Woodcraft Ltd, Huddersfield, UK.

©Mostyn Theatre Organ Productions 2020

We do not own the rights to the original compositions.