SimpleGifts puts community celebration ahead of commercialization – pulling the audience into the sublime side of traditional repertoire in a truly meaningful Christmas event. Crossings is thrilled to bring the popular SimpleGifts show back to Zumbrota on December 2, 7:30pm, at the State Theatre.
This season’s performers are Billy Oehrlein, Heather Moen, Laura MacKenzie, Karen Paurus, Amy Courts, led by Billy McLaughlin. SimpleGifts combines violin, Celtic whistle and bagpipes, piano, acoustic guitar and percussion with angelic three part female vocals to create a “modern Old-World” sound. There is nothing ordinary about the arrangements this team delivers both in the studio and in concert, and nothing ordinary about how their fans respond.
Seen by over 20,000 live audience members in 2016, this group continues to grow in popularity throughout the Upper Midwest and has successfully transitioned from their early days in coffeehouses and small listening rooms to prestigious performing art centers and larger churches.
This is the group’s tenth performance in Zumbrota. Music from the group’s six critically acclaimed CD releases will be featured.