The Sedona International Film Festival will be decking the halls of the Sedona Performing Arts Center with live entertainment when composer David Arkenstone, a past Sedona favorite, returns with his holiday show, “A Winter’s Eve with David Arkenstone & Friends,” on Friday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m.
“We brought Arkenstone back by popular demand,” Sedona International Film Festival Executive Director Patrick Schweiss said. “We brought him previously to SPAC for another holiday show and it was phenomenal. [His show] is an amazing mix of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Mannheim Steamroller, Windham Hill artists. He’s all of those wrapped up in one and his shows are mindblowing.”
“I’m influenced by all the music I like from when I was growing up, listening to classical music and ‘The Nutcracker,’ and then through the Beatles and all the progressive rock bands that I performed in for years,” Arkenstone said. “I love orchestral music, so I try to combine that all in my own music. Somebody called it one time, ‘cinematic New Age rock,’ which was as close as I’ve heard anybody say.”
This is Arkenstone’s third consecutive holiday tour, which begins in Colorado, and will include familiar holiday tunes such as “I Saw Three Ships” and “Deck the Halls,” along with what Arkenstone described as his “funkier” work, such as “Bottom of The Punch Bowl” from his 2006 album “Celtic Christmas.”
“Then in the middle of the show, we come down to the front of the stage, what we call the campfire set, and we sit in a circle and play songs like a holiday medley,” Arkenstone said. “There’s a song from my album ‘Music Inspired by Middle Earth’ that we play where it feels more like we’re in a pub or living room, and that’s a fun part of the show.”
Arkenstone’s musical career began with piano lessons and high school bands and grew into a successful solo career in 1987 with his debut album “Valley in the Clouds.” He would later compose some of the soundtracks for the online role playing game “World of Warcraft.”
“It’s interesting to try to do something new, something to challenge yourself,” Arkenstone said. He added that his album “Quest for the Runestone,” which was released earlier this year, energized him in that regard by seeking a larger scope compared to his more minimal recordings of recent years, telling an epic story and doing so with a wider array of instruments.
“I got out every drum I own and set them all up in the studio,” Arkenstone said. “We got to mix that in Dolby Atmos, which is an amazing format to hear your music in.”
Arkenstone said he will be performing songs from the new album along with tracks from his holiday albums “Christmas Lounge” and “Winterlude.”
SIFF will be putting on a second holiday show at SPAC on Saturday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. when it will host the Christmas Tenors, comprising Matthew Holter, Alberto Ranjel, Chach Snook and Dennis Tamblyn.
“If you want a show that is going to put you in the Christmas spirit, this is it,” Schweiss said. “Because it is such a joyful show with some wonderful holiday classics.”
“The Sedona Performing Arts Center isn’t used nearly as much as it should be,” Schweiss continued. “But our commitment to our audience is to bring more live performances whenever we can, to a bigger stage. And so those are just the first two of our SPAC performances. We will have a Tribute to the Everly Brothers [March 9] and a Paul McCartney tribute in the spring, that we’re going to do as part of that commitment.”
“Sedona has its built-in beauty, which is always incredible,” Arkenstone said. “It has a special energy, and the people reflect that. It’s a special stop on the tour.”
For tickets and more information, visit SedonaFilmFestival.org or call (928) 282-1177.
