Review: AN IRISH CHRISTMAS - A CELEBRATION OF CAROLS at Kennedy Center

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and just one example of that is found in modern hymn writers Keith and Kristyn Getty's "An Irish Christmas - A Celebration of Carols" concert tour. They're playing different U.S. cities most nights, and while I was fortunate enough to see them at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, they will be back in the area 3 p.m. Saturday, December 17, at First Baptist Church of Alexandria, VA.

They will also perform 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, December 20 at New York City's Carnegie Hall.

The Gettys may be hymn writers, but their concert was far from sedate. Building on the success of their 2011 studio album by the same name, their live concert showcases fresh, extended arrangements plus eight new carols which tell the Christmas story in a unique way.

The gorgeous Kennedy Center Opera House was packed to capacity, with an appreciative audience responding enthusiastically to the Celtic style music, which included drums, fiddles, bagpipes, flute, bodhran, harp, a multi-generational choir and Irish step dancers.

You haven't heard "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" until you've heard it performed with a lively Celtic flair, ending with two multi-talented women laying aside their instruments to step dance their way to the end of the song.

Other well-known selections included "Joy to the World," "Go Tell it on the Mountain," "Deck the Halls," "Carol of the Bells" and many more. Grammy-winning bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs is a guest on the tour, delighting the audience with his lightning-fast yet perfect banjo skills.

You won't regret seeing this energetic, moving, thoroughly Christmassy experience! Information about tickets for upcoming performances can be found at www.gettymusic.com/irishchristmas.

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