Andrew Peterson is a musician, author and member of the Square Peg Alliance, a collective of Nashville songwriters. The works of C.S. Lewis are a major inspiration for him. "He had a great way of getting to the heart of things," Peterson says. "He would have been a great songwriter. The hardest thing about songwriting is conveying an idea or emotion in 3 1/2 minutes. He had a way of boiling down these big truths about life into one or two sentences."
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Let’s start with one very simple premise, as regards
Christmas concerts.
“Nobody’s dressed like a camel.”
That’s what Peterson says, with more than a hint of humor in his voice, during a Monday phone interview.
He has nothing against camels, mind you. Nor does Peterson object to fake snow, blinking lights, Santa hats or sleigh bells.
The Nashville singer-songwriter, 38, can appreciate holiday hoopla. It just has no place in his “Behold the Lamb of God” tour. These shows -- scheduled Nov. 28-Dec. 20 at churches and theaters, auditoriums and arts centers -- are meant to be tasteful and spiritual.
“Christmas can be such a gaudy season,” Peterson says. “It’s nice for audiences to get away from the schmaltziness, to get away from the shopping mall, get away from the glitz of it all, and remember the story at the heart of the season.”
Thirteen years ago, he wrote songs to accomplish that goal, retelling the Bible story about the birth of Jesus. The tunes were performed on stage by Peterson, his band members and a handful of guest artists. All of them embraced folk and country arrangements that featured banjo, fiddle, lap steep and hammered dulcimer.
DETAILS
Who:
and friends.
What:
“Behold the Lamb of God” Christmas concert.
When:
Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
Where:
Mountaintop Community Church, 225 Centerview Drive, Birmingham, Alabama.
Tickets:
$10 advance, $15 day of show. ($15 tickets include copy of Peterson’s record, “Light for the Lost Boy.”)
Info:
205-776-8100 or
.
In 2004, the tunes were recorded for an album, “Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tale of the Coming of Christ.” And the concerts continued, becoming an annual tradition for Peterson and audiences around the country.
On Dec. 2, “Behold the Lamb of God” comes to Birmingham, for a 7 p.m. performance at
. As Peterson explains it, the program will be split into two parts. The first half, a songwriter’s circle, allows the musicians to introduce themselves, tell stories and play their own material.
The tone changes for the second half, as the performers cover Peterson’s Christmas album -- song for song, note for note, start to finish. There’s no chatter between the tunes; everyone on stage maintains a reverent focus.
“I feel that it’s really genuine,” Peterson says. “What we’re trying to do is create a moment for the audience. I want it to go deep and create a profound sense of wonder.”
If listeners’ thoughts turn to new-fallen snow, a twinkling star, a Nativity scene or the hark of herald angels, so much the better.
Peterson, a contemporary Christian artist, hopes you’ll arrive at time-honored conclusions, as his music leads you to them in fresh and original ways.
“I’m a classic case of a guy who believes the Bible is true and loves it, but can be bored stiff reading it,” he says. “My favorite kinds of sermons or stories take the stuff I have known academically and put flesh and bone on it. Suddenly, I’m 12 years old again and my imagination lights up.”
Andrew Peterson, center, with bandmates Andy Gullahorn, left, and Ben Shive.
Instead of “O Holy Night,” “We Three Kings” and “What Child Is This,” Peterson's concerts offer “It Came to Pass,” “Labor of Love” and “Matthew’s Begats.”
“The music may be new, but the story’s not new,” he says. “You can enjoy it if you’re a Christian or not, because you can say, ‘Gosh, wouldn’t it be great if it were true?’”
Peterson, who grew up as a preacher’s son in Illinois and Florida, says his faith remains strong. The same goes for artists who’ve appeared in his Christmas shows over the years. The list is long and distinguished, including Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, David Wilcox, Pierce Pettis, Phil Keaggy, Mindy Smith, Ron Block and Sixpence None the Richer.
This year’s lineup includes Andy Gullahorn and Ben Shive -- Peterson’s usual bandmates, known as The Captains Courageous -- plus Jill Phillips, Andrew Osenga of Caedmon’s Call and
.
Lead vocals are shared among the musicians, most of whom are veterans and therefore have the roles down pat. Jones, making his first appearance on the tour, will take the spotlight on a song called “Deliver Us.” That assignment changes every year, and typically goes to a newcomer.
Peterson jokingly calls it the “Defense Against the Dark Arts” spot, a reference to the revolving door of teachers in the
. ("We've got enough nerds in the band to appreciate it," he says.)
The comment offers a window into another aspect of his career; Peterson writes a series of fantasy novels for young adults,
He also founded the
, a bookstore, publisher, coffee shop, blog and online radio station.
"I do have an entrepreneurial bent," he says. "I come up with lots of projects, and most of them crash and burn. Some of them do take hold."
Cover art for the 10th anniversary edition of Andrew Peterson's "Behold the Lamb of God: The True Tall Tall of the Coming of Christ." One disc in the set captures a 2008 concert performance; the other is a remastered edition of the original recording.
For Peterson, it's all part of God's plan.
"I think the Lord enjoys taking our weaknesses and turning that inside-out, to make something beautiful," he says. "I hate being alone, and that fear of loneliness that I have has led me to community."
The same desire animates Peterson's Christmas concerts, which require an ensemble of at least five players.
"From the very beginning, when I first started doing this tour, I knew community would be a big part of it," he says. "I wanted the show to feel like it was a troupe of people. And the scope of the show, musically and thematically, was something a guy with a guitar could not pull off."
Now, as "Behold the Lamb of God" marks its 13th year, Peterson says the tour feels like a family reunion. Two mid-December performances are scheduled at Nashville's
, a historic venue that many musicians regard as hallowed ground.
"It sounds kind of hokey, but I do feel there are special places in the world, that feel right," Peterson says. "The Ryman holds 2,000, which is a lot of people, but it feels like a small room. It's like a little church in the country somewhere."
When the final note fades and the ticketholders head for home, Peterson plans to engage in another holiday ritual.
"After the gear is packed up, I'll walk the streets of downtown Nashville, through this city that I love," he says. "I want this concert to be a blessing on the entire city."