Seasons Greetings from the Ether Game Brain Trust! We are wrapping up a month of Winter and holiday themed shows from Ether Game this week. On our last show we looked at Christmas carols, but it wasn't as easy as you might think. We wanted our listeners to guess the composers of famous Christmas carol arrangements. Can our podcast listeners do the same? See if you can guess the composer and group that performed this arrangement of The Holly and the Ivy (the answer is below), and don't forget to tune in for Ether Game on Tuesdays at 8 o'clock for a chance to win a prize!.
Artist: Manheim Steamroller -The Holly and the Ivy
Album: A Fresh Aire Christmas (1988)
Now you may think it odd that we're featuring an electronic music group on a classical music podcast, but Manheim Steamroller is a special form of electronica, it's deeply rooted in classical music. The groups founder, Chip Davis, was a huge baroque music buff, and in the 1970s he wanted to fuse this interest with a boom in synthesizers and computerized music. Davis landed himself and his group Manheim Steamroller at the forefront of a movement that became known as Neoclassical New-Age in the early 80s, combining elements of early music with jazz and rock. The group's Christmas albums, which combine synths with famous guest musicians and orchestras, have won numerous awards and frequently top the billboards.