Its tale follows a dilapidated hotel, an old toy store, a blues bar, a gothic cathedral, and its individual occupants, whose fates are connected over a single enchanting night in New York City, set to a varied soundtrack that blends elements of rock, classical, pop, folk, Broadway, and R&B.
That, I believe, is what Christmas is all about: giving you a reason to be nicer, repent for a previous wrong, and do good. But this record means a lot more to us than Christmas.
It's a rock album that you can listen to in your car, and it includes songs that will help you relax after a long day at work, as well as music that will help you get into the Christmas spirit.” The Lost Christmas Eve is TSO's first Christmas album in six years, and it features the group's trademark "symphonic rock" renditions of holiday favorites like "Faith Noel" – a medley of two timeless melodies, "O Come All Ye Faithful" and "The First Noel" – as well as classical excerpts like Mozart's "Queen of the Night." Two more notable choices harken back to TSO's history.
The first, "Christmas Canon Rock," is a reimagining of Pachelbel's "Canon in D Minor," which TSO previously attempted as "Christmas Canon" on The Christmas Attic. “Christmas Canon Rock,” as the name suggests, is a more upbeat version, with a full rock band replacing the children's choir.
TSO has performed the song live before, but The Lost Christmas Eve is the first time it has been recorded. The song had to be changed for the stage due to the lack of a traveling kid choir, but O'Neill claims the crowd response was so positive that the band felt compelled to record the live version in the studio.
For the second time, TSO covers a song by Savatage, the renowned hard rock band with whom O'Neill and the rest of TSO's creative team — composer Jon Oliva, guitarist Al Pitrelli, and composer/co-producer Robert Kinkel – initially worked together.
(One of Savatage's four rock operas contained TSO's hallmark song, "Christmas Eve," a thrilling instrumental marriage of "Carol Of The Bells," "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," and original music.) TSO experiments with other tunes. “We constantly attempt to do something we haven't done before,” adds O'Neill. “We hadn't had a brass quartet before ('Christmas Concerto,') so we included it.
We hadn't had any honky-tonk before, which is why we included 'Christmas Nights In Blue.' We were going for a Leon Russell-meets-Joe Cocker vibe. We are constantly striving to improve and push the boundaries.
We're always searching for different perspectives to keep things interesting.” Expect some of these new songs to appear on TSO's annual Christmas Eve and Other Stories tour, which has become one of the country's most successful in only six years.
TSO has an orchestral string section, a complete rock band, many vocalists, a narration, a breathtaking light display, and spectacular pyrotechnics when performing live. As the ensemble expands into historic locations, 2004 promises to be the group's most ambitious production ever.
TSO will split into two traveling bands this winter, as has become as much of a TSO hallmark as its soaring guitars and symphonies.
TSO is the only rock band to have ever successfully staged twin tours – and maybe the only one with enough personnel to even try such a task – and does it solely during the winter, guaranteeing that fans get to see Christmas Eve live during the appropriate season.
“It's an attempt to reach as many people as possible with our music while still capturing the enchantment of the holidays,” O'Neill adds. As a result, the two traveling bands led by Pitrelli and Kinkel will play almost 100 performances over the course of seven weeks, in front of a total audience of over half a million people.
TSO's acclaimed concert presentations, such as "Christmas Canon Rock," have become widely recognized for introducing fans to new content. The pattern began during TSO's first tour when the orchestra premiered some pieces from Beethoven's Last Night, an unpublished rock opera (2000). The content from the album continues to offer some of the band's most thrilling live performances.
TSO is expected to play at least one new song from Nightcastle, the group's upcoming album, which is set to be released in the spring/summer of 2005. “As a band, we enjoy having no boundaries,” adds O'Neill. “Our records remind me of huge, ancient castles,” says the singer.
They're magical from afar or up close, and the more you look into them, the more you'll discover. It's amazing simply to walk in, and it's magical just to stare at the walls and wonder what's beyond them. But if you ever break down a wall, what's beyond it may be the most magnificent thing you've ever seen.”
