Grammy-nominated and Billboard No. 1 concert violinist, Jenny Oaks Baker, is taking her Christmas show, “Joy to the World! A Sacred Celebration,” on tour for its third year, Nov. 29-Dec. 21.
This year, the show will be making 15 stops in Utah, Arizona, Idaho, California, Colorado, Nevada and Canada.
Featured vocal artists, as well as local choirs and dancers, will perform alongside Baker and her four children, also known as the musical group Family Four. BYU Theatre Ballet will perform at many of the shows in Utah.
The show will celebrate the birth of Christ during the Christmas season with music from all around the world.
Baker, who produces the show and tour, said its onset came from inspiration.
“I feel like I have a commission from the Lord to bring people closer to Christ through my music and bring Christ-centered programs to the world,” Baker said, "and not just wait for others to invite me to perform.”
This realization sent Baker on a path to produce her own shows and tours, including her Easter show, “The Redeemer: Music on the Life of Jesus the Christ,” and “Joy to the World! A Sacred Celebration,” which she premiered at Tuacahn a couple of years prior.
Baker attributed the success of both tours to God. Baker explained that as she endeavored to try and figure out how to produce shows and tours, even as she had no idea what she was doing, she would pray for help, and she could see God’s hand helping her throughout the entire process.
“The Lord has rescued me over and over again and brought such incredible miracles,” Baker said. “The Lord loves work, and He always honors your efforts.
The purpose of the show, Baker explained, is to bring audiences closer to Christ as they celebrate Him and His birth during the Christmas season.
“It's not a Christmas show about me,” Baker said, “it's a Christmas show about the Savior.”
Baker said she finds peace through God's help. She said being able to teach people about Christ through this tour is “really a privilege.”
“I know I'm doing what the Lord wants me to do,” Baker said. “It's fulfilling and wonderful and super stressful.”
Baker said her musical talent is “the vehicle that the Lord has given (her) to share (her) testimony.”
“He gave me a talent for music and opportunities to develop that talent, so that I had a vehicle to share my testimony in a more powerful way,” Baker said.
Baker began playing the violin when she was only four years old. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in violin performance from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and a Masters of Music from The Juilliard School.
Alongside releasing 19 albums, Baker has performed as a guest soloist with many symphony orchestras and in many renowned concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
“I've been really blessed and I'm grateful for all the different opportunities the Lord has blessed me with,” Baker said.
Jenny Oaks Baker and Family Four have performed together throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia.
Baker’s kids, Laura, Hannah, Sarah and Matthew Baker will perform with her each night of "Joy to the World! A Sacred Celebration."
Jason F. Wright, New York Times best selling author, and author of the original and updated show scripts, will narrate the show each night as the shepherd John.
Each performance will also feature vocal soloists, Irish soprano Alex Sharpe and baritone Preston Yates.
Alex Sharpe has performed alongside Baker throughout the U.S. and Europe for multiple shows, including "Joy to the World! A Sacred Celebration."
This year, Baker added soloist Preston Yates to the show. Yates is a renowned singer, also featured in Baker's Easter show.
BYU Theatre Ballet will perform at several of the performances in Utah.
“I just don’t think any Christmas celebration is complete without dance,” Shayla Bott, professor and chair of BYU's Department of Dance, said.
Bott choreographed all of the ballet numbers featured in the Christmas show.
Bott said she thinks the show “will really bring in the Christmas season in a really special way.”
The shows outside of Utah will highlight local ballet dancers performing Bott's choreography. Each show will also feature local Irish dancers.
Baker said this year, she aimed to highlight the word "world" in the show's title,” adding Christmas music and Carols from all over the globe.
The show will include “O Come All Ye Faithful” with gospel choir, a gypsy version of “Patapan,” “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella,” from France, an African spin on the classic, “Little Drummer Boy,” as well as music from other countries including Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and the United States.
Katie Larsen, managing director of Jenny Oaks Baker Music, said the show gets better every year as Baker adds new songs, new material and new choreography.
“Everything from the dancers, to the multicultural music, to the choreography, to her actual violin playing,” Larsen said, “it is just beautiful.”
Larsen said Baker’s show is more than the typical "classical Christmas show," describing it as a “truly transformative experience.”
“She has a way of playing, so that it just brings true joy to the audience members,” Larsen said about Baker.
“I think our show is really entertaining and fun and very exuberant, but it's also very spiritually satisfying and fulfilling and inspiring,” Baker said.
More information about "Joy to the World! A Sacred Celebration," as well as Baker's other music, can be found on her website.