If you’re watching Christmas carols being performed by a full-fledged classical orchestra and a choir, accompanied by the pyrotecnics and light wizardry one generally associates with rock concerts, then you’re watching a rock orchestra - the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to be specific.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

And in case one isn’t sufficient, there’s two of them. Producer Paul O’Neill has TSO touring with two teams – TSO East and TSO West – at the same time.

So, with their latest album Night Castle having been released in Oct 09, they’re on tour with shows scheduled for virtually every single day, and even twice a day in different locations.

Each show is a 2-hour extravaganza of visual effects, with lasers and pyrotechnics. And it’s not just about the imagery.  TSO’s albums and holiday tour shows have a message and a story to tell.

In fact, the name itself is based on the Trans-Siberian Railway, which  links pockets of communities which would otherwise never be able to connect. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra similarly connects vastly different styles of music and brings together fans who would otherwise never come in contact.

Even though Night Castle is not a holiday album like Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the story behind it is still one of hope and redemption. Oh yes, Night Castle has a full-fledged story behind it…

The story comes in a 68-page illustrated booklet that you get when you buy the 2 CD album set with 26 tracks combined.

TSO Night Castle

It is about a little girl listening to a story narrated by a stranger from New York, that takes her across the world and through time. A tale of love and triumph where, inspite of the characters depicting life and making the same mistakes over and over again, in the end, there is always a transformation and a happy ending.

If you’re planning on buying Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets, don’t forget to read the story or download it beforehand. The show will mean a lot more if you connect with the story.

Their current tour schedule ends on Jan 3, 2010. After that, TSO has a world tour in the works, which is going to be even more of a spectacle. Paul O’Neill says the world tour will have TSO performing their previous non-holiday hit album Beethoven’s Last Night in it’s entriety, followed by Night Castle.

That means two TSO teams, each performing two TSO albums for every show. That’s TSO x 4. Talk about getting value for money for being a TSO fan.

TSO photo by mattgarber