THE WIZARDS OF WINTER Musical Director SCOTT KELLY Talks New Song "Secrets Of The Snow Globe" - "I Had NIGHTWISH In Mind..."

November 10, 2019, 4 years ago

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THE WIZARDS OF WINTER Musical Director SCOTT KELLY Talks New Song "Secrets Of The Snow Globe" - "I Had NIGHTWISH In Mind..."

Scott Kelly (keyboards / musical director) and Sharon Kelly (flute / vocals) from holiday rock ensemble The Wizards Of Winter recently spoke in-depth with Dan Roth about the making of their new album, The Christmas Dream, and their 2019 tour. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Dan: "Secrets Of The Snow Globe", the album opener, though five minutes in length, feels like a mini-epic with a few different movements that make up the song. Can you talk about how that song was constructed and came about? It feels like something that could have become a 12-minute song a la Dream Theater or Yes.

Scott: (Laughs) "It easily could've been. And it almost did."

Sharon: "The vocal intro to 'Secrets Of The Snow Globe' was actually something we were going to use in 'Spirit of Christmas' at one point. We eventually took it out, but always had that in the back of our heads."

Scott: "'Secrets Of The Snow Globe' went through many different iterations over time, and for a while was known as a song called 'Avalanche'. At the time that I was writing it, I wanted to showcase Sharon's phenomenal range. I also had the band Nightwish, whom we love, in mind as we composed the song. Because this is the opener to the show and it is taking you inside the snow globe, we needed that eeriness of the intro. Once inside the globe, she tells the story of what the snow globe is about and that it keeps these secrets inside about Christmas. Then the prog metal piece is the journey as you are flying from place to place inside the snow globe. That was what I was thinking of as I wrote it. It could have gone into many additional directions, which it did for a while (laughs)."

Check out the complete interview here.

The Christmas Dream contains ten new original songs and is a rocking holiday sleigh ride that crosses musical boundaries from prog metal to contemporary, appealing to a broad and diverse audience. The Christmas Dream is The Wizards Of Winter's strongest release thus far.

Tracklisting:

“Secrets Of The Snow Globe”
“Handel’s Torch”
“Gonna Snow”
“Polar Eve”
“Midnight Noel”
“The Four Kings”
“The Happy Song”
“In Plain Sight”
“Christmas Dream (Salzburg Carol)”
“A Toast To Time (Farewell)”

“Handel’s Torch”:

The Wizards Of Winter - now in their tenth year - will kick off their annual holiday tour on November 13th. The band's classical and progressive-influenced rock music is woven throughout a theatrical holiday-themed show, performed in an intimate setting.

The Wizards Of Winter feature former members of Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rainbow, Blue Oyster Cult, Ted Nugent and The Irish Tenors and have added even more new talent to their ranks this year, including violinist and backup vocalist Kornelia Rad (Shen Yun Symphony Orchestra), lead vocalist and auxiliary keyboardist Alexis Smith, and last but not least, lead guitarist Steve Brown (Trixter, Def Leppard, Dennis DeYoung, Rock of Ages).

See below for a full listing of tour dates. Tickets for all currently confirmed dates are on sale now via individual venues.

November
14 - Melbourne, FL - Melbourne Auditorium
16 - Stuart, FL - Lyric Theater
21 - Pueblo, CO - Pueblo Memorial Hall
22 - Alto, NM - Spencer Theatre   
23 - Gilbert, AZ - Higley PAC
24 - Wickenberg, AZ - Del E. Webb PAC
29 - Patchogue, Long Island, NY - Patchogue Theatre
30 - Asbury Park, NJ - Paramount Theatre

December
1 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen PAC
5 - Angola, IN - T. Furth PAC
6 - Pontiac, MI - Flagstar Strand Theatre
7 - Johnson Creek, WI - Gobbler Theatre
8 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre         
12 - Wisconsin Rapids, WI - Wisconsin Rapids PAC
13 - Harris, MI - Island Resort Casino
14 - Harris, MI - Island Resort Casino
15 - Wabash, IN - Honeywell Theatre
17 - Canton, OH - Canton Palace  
19 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall          
20 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penns Peak
21 - Roanoke Rapids, NC - Roanoke Rapids Theatre

The Wizards Of Winter founder and keyboardist Scott Kelly says, "This year's The Wizards Of Winter tour will mark the band's 10th anniversary and will be our biggest production to date. This fact, coupled with the addition of talented new members, means the show is going to be over the top! We can't wait to bring it to new and old fans alike nationwide."

The Wizards Of Winter are pleased to be working with new agent Bob Kinkead, CEO of The Kinkead Entertainment Agency. Kinkead says, "Having The Wizards Of Winter on our roster is very exciting for me and my team. With the show being presented in an intimate theatre setting, I am thrilled for audiences all over the USA to experience a magical holiday rock opera that they will never forget."

Lineup:

Scott Kelly - Founder, Keyboards
Sharon Kelly - Vocals/Flute
Fred Gorhau - Lead Guitar
Greg Smith - Bass
John O'Reilly - Drums
Steve Brown - Lead Guitar
Vincent Jiovino - Vocals
Karl Scully - Vocals
Alexis Smith - Vocals/Auxiliary Keys
Kornelia Rad - Violin/Vocals
Tony Gainer - Narrator

(Photos - Jeff Smith)



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