Respect to Erin Bode at last night's Kirkwood Performing Arts Center concert for maintaining a "show must go on" attitude and pulling off an impressive performance, despite battling a sore throat. She told the audience that she might sound like Eartha Kitt, but to my ears, she was in excellent voice, particularly on "Count Your Blessings," "Silent Night," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and the show-closing "White Christmas," in which the audience took her up on her invitation to sing along.
Bode admitted she was particularly concerned how Joni Mitchell's "River" might turn out, noting that it's difficult to sing even when you feel well. She nailed the vocals, though, and at "River"'s conclusion, told the crowd, "Now, I can relax." She also conquered the octave leap in "Little Road To Bethlehem"'s lyric, "Your star of gold, your star of gold is shining in the sky." During her cover of "Winter Weather," we applauded her in mid-song after her extended whistling solo.
I left the venue satisfied and appreciative that she'd sung three of my favorite carols, "Little Road...," "The Holly And The Ivy," and "The Star's Song," as well as many other Yuletide tunes, with moving accompaniment from guitarist Steve Schenkel and cellist Tara Santiago Anello; Santiago Anello, incidentally, received two well-deserved mid-song applause breaks for her melodic solos.
Kudos to all three artists for a warm, enjoyable Christmas concert and to Bode for persevering under less than ideal conditions.
