The Best Christmas Concert

Incredible high definition Christmas concert by celebrated group SimpleGifts.

SimpleGifts is arguably the most successful Minnesota-based holiday-themed project celebrating traditional hymns and carols interpreted in modern arrangements. Fueled by grassroots fans since 2001, SimpleGifts presents to you our most recent ChristmasTide Tour — filmed in the historic Marine-On-St. Croix Town Hall.

SimpleGifts puts community celebration ahead of commercialization – pulling the audience into the sublime side of traditional repertoire in a truly meaningful Christmas event. Expect modern arrangements with an “Old-world” feel highlighting Billy McLaughlin’s signature acoustic-guitar, angelic three-part harmony vocals, bagpipes, Celtic flutes, violin, piano and tasty atmospheric percussion.

An extra special thank you to Steve Keller and everyone at promediaproductions.com  for producing this concert video! That’s a lot of work and we appreciate you and your team Steve!

About SimpleGifts

As long-time fans will tell you, SimpleGifts makes musical magic by bringing a modern flair to traditional Christmas carols and hymns. Staying close to the heart of Christmas by avoiding commercial and pop holiday repertoire has become the trademark of this award winning six-piece ensemble.

SimpleGifts combines violin, Celtic flutes 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. Seen by over 20,000 live audience members last season, 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.

More About SimpleGifts

The Christmas Concert Band

Best-Christmas-Concert-Billy McLaughlin -Acoustic Guitar
Billy McLaughlin
Laura MacKenzie - Wooden Flutes Whistles Concertina Bagpipes
Laura MacKenzie
Karen Paurus - Vocalist - sq
Karen Paurus
Amy Courts - Vocalist Melodica - sq
Amy Courts
Heather-Moen-Garborg-Violin
Heather Garborg-Moen
Best-Christmas-Concert-Billy Oehrlein - Percussion
Billy Oehrlein

Music from the group’s most recent CD This Christmastide and previous five critically-acclaimed releases will be featured during the concert. The ensemble’s previous CD, Wintergrace, is characterized by local music critic, Jim Walsh:

Surely “…one of the most elegant and listenable Christmas collections of this or any year — “WinterGrace” from the Billy McLaughlin-led local collective SimpleGifts” – MinnPost

As long-time fans will tell you, SimpleGifts featuring Billy McLaughlin makes musical magic by bringing a modern flair to traditional Christmas carols and hymns. Staying close to the heart of Christmas, by avoiding commercial and pop holiday repertoire has become the trademark of this award winning six-piece ensemble. SimpleGifts instead combines violin, Celtic flutes and bagpipes, piano, acoustic guitar and percussion with angelic three part female vocals to create a “modern Old-World” sound.

Moreover, here is nothing ordinary about the arrangements this team delivers both in the studio and in concert. Seen by over 20,000 live audience members last season, this group continues to grow in popularity having successfully transitioned from their early days in coffeehouses and small listening rooms to prestigious performing art centers and larger churches.

“There was no “Frosty the Snowman”, or “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” in the performance of SimpleGifts. Rather, Billy and his incredible group covered the arc of the Christmas narrative in a beautiful and profound way that touched the audience very deeply.” — Brian Jose, Executive Director College of St. Benedict Fine Arts Series St. Joseph, MN

“The angelic vocals and wonderful musical accompaniment are a breathtaking combination. Experiencing this concert makes one pause and reflect on what the season is all about. Overall this is the real music of Christmas.” — Richard Kettering, Acoustic Roots Music Series Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, Faribault, MN

The Music

An especially endearing Small-town Christmas experience from the North-woods Minnesota home of SimpleGifts.

About SimpleGifts

About BillyMcLaughlin

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Concert Preview

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