John Gorka -- Christmas Bells

"Christmas Bells", a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, arranged by John Gorka

John has a no-pretense, straight ahead style that packs auditoriums with the lure of its seeming simplicity. But his lyrics are what really draw folks in. His observations of life ring close to home for just about everybody. In this case, being a great lyricist definitely helps in interpreting another. For Ornaments, John brings his honest approach to a poem written out of grief by another master of words. Longfellow wrote this in 1863 while reflecting on his son having been seriously wounded in the war. The grief, and the joy, are very apparent in both Longfellow's words and John's voice.

When host Jim Blum talked to John about being on the show, John sat right down in the dressing room during an intermission in his concert, and played it for us right there. We knew we had a very special ornament to look forward to.

For more information about John Gorka, check out the John Gorka web site.