TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

The Roches Bring Harmony To Holidays

ADVERTISEMENT

By CURTIS ROSS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

Singing Christmas carols is a tradition for The Roches, one that dates back well before the sisters had a definite article in front of their surname.

As children, Maggie, Terre and Suzzy Roche would take to the streets, the hospitals or "anywhere people wanted to hear carols and sing three-part harmonies," Suzzy Roche says by telephone from her home in New York.

The girls grew up but continued singing, releasing their first album, "The Roches," in 1979 and building a devoted following for their exquisite, original harmonies and witty, poignant songs.

Their 1990 holiday-themed album, "We Three Kings," has a special place in many fans' hearts.

"That has become a beloved Christmas record that people put on the day after Thanksgiving," Roche says. "That's a beautiful thing."

The disc ranges from comic takes on "Frosty the Snowman" and "Winter Wonderland," delivered in over-the-top outer borough accents, to "Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light," the otherworldly harmonies of which will purge your inner Scrooge in 94 seconds.

Roche says she listened to the album again recently and thought it sounded "pretty fierce."

Asked to explain that description, Roche says, "I guess because it was very ambitious. I forget how many songs were on the album. We were doing it in the middle of the summer, figuring out all the parts.

"When we made the record we were thinking of records we used to have," Roche says. "For me it was the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. When that music came on it started to feel like Christmas."

The sisters' current tour is holiday themed, but Roche hastens to explain that "it's not your usual holiday show."

"I wouldn't want to scare off anyone," Roche says. "A lot of people don't like Christmas and it gets painful for some people. We try to pick ... feel-good kind of songs, songs about peace and love."

Roche, however, admits that her favorite carols are "the sad ones."

"I love 'Away in a Manger,'" Roche says. "The story of Christmas is such a great one: a baby being born in the stable in the back, the wise kings coming.

"It's a shame these days that none of the holidays are allowed to be celebrated because they're perceived as religious," Roche says. "Traditions and stories are great."

Roche assures that the show is for all Roches fans, regardless of their feelings about the holiday.

"It's not only a holiday show," Roche says. "Not even the majority of the material is holiday-related. But by the end of it everybody's in the holiday spirit."

Roches fans probably thought Christmas had come this past March, when the trio released its first album in 12 years, "Moonswept."

"I think we needed to go off and work on other things," Roche says. "I made four records, and toured extensively in Europe with a theater group.

"Doing the group is a full-time job. You can't do anything else," Roche says. "We needed a break before we came back together."

ON TOUR

The Roches

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. today

WHERE: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Ferguson Hall, 1010 N. MacInnes Place, Tampa

COST: $29.50; box office, (813) 229-7827; Ticketmaster, (813) 287-8844

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT