Annie Moses Band

Christmas has long been a gateway to expose new ears to the unique sound of the five-member, string-playing
Annie Moses Band, considering audiences often broaden their musical tastes during the holidays. With the release of This Glorious Christmas (October 7, 2008), the all-sibling group makes its most stunning statement yet, telling the story of Christ’s birth, with a mix of original tunes and holiday classics, as never heard before. Annie Moses Band is an eclectic blend of classical, jazz and pop music that draws from the family’s three-generation musical journey, all the way from rural Texas to the halls of The Juilliard School.

“Christmas incites both happiness and reverence,” lead singer Annie Wolaver explains. “I hope people find that this album explores the miraculous event that inspired the ultimate good news of great joy – the birth of Jesus Christ. We really want it to be a ‘spiritual feast’ for all who listen; fully painting pictures and imagery in people’s minds and hearts.”

There is a remarkable story behind the reverence and respect heard and seen throughout the life of the Annie Moses Band, and it starts with the little fact that Annie Moses is not a member of the Annie Moses Band.

The Annie Moses Band dates back three generations to the sibling’s great-grandmother, who is the actual Annie Moses for which the group is named. Though she was a simple field worker in rural Texas, Annie recognized her daughter Jane’s profound musical talent and desire to learn more. Thanks to Annie Moses’ determination, Jane was able to excel musically, despite the family’s meager resources. Jane passed that same drive on to her daughter, Robin, who in turned passed it on to her children: Annie (lead vocals, violin), Alex (viola, background vocals), Benjamin (cello), Gretchen (violin, mandolin), and Camille (harp, piano) - the Annie Moses Band. (10-year-old brother, Jeremiah (guitar), is also working towards becoming a full-time member of the band). The family has taken its musical inheritance, passed down through its family tree, to create a distinctive musical world, all its own. In fact, Annie, Alex and Benjamin have been trained at the world-renowned Juilliard School, in New York City.

The Annie Moses Band is constantly pushing the boundaries of its art form, while drawing on a staggering array of musical styles and influences. The band’s 12-track Christmas collection, This Glorious Christmas, takes that creative curiosity and focuses it on the greatest legacy of all - the coming of Christ.

“Bethlehem literally means ‘House of Bread,’” explains 24-year-old Annie, referring to the song “Bethlehem House of Bread.” “That song speaks of how amazing it is that Jesus, The Bread of Life, was born in that town. You see a strategy in the story of Jesus’ birth, going back over so much time, and it culminates in this moment.”

Through This Glorious Christmas, which was produced by Alex Wolaver and Robin Wolaver, mother to the children, the family group focuses on finding fresh and unusual musical elements surrounding the Christmas season, through the new songs. In fact, This Glorious Christmas contains a dizzying array of musical styles, ranging from a bit of Latin flair on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman,” to the 1940s big band sounds of “Red, White & Blue Christmas.”

“The string sections on Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby’s Christmas projects were a huge musical inspiration for all of us on this album,” adds Alex Wolaver.

There are moments of sheer, musical exhilaration, evidenced by the album opener, “Sussex Carol,” and also a sense of quiet contemplation on the brand-new, “When The Christmas Baby Cries.”

Holiday standards, such as “Go Tell It On the Mountain” and “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” add a touch of the familiar to the project, but the Annie Moses Band’s indelible stamp is evident thanks to the arrangements of the sibling’s father, Bill Wolaver.

“When you’re dealing with classics that everyone knows, you have such a larger creative window to do something different,” shares Bill. “When we added that to the unplugged nature of this record, it allowed us to throw any musical boxes away.”

As the Annie Moses Band continues recording (the band will release a non-seasonal album in early 2009) and touring, they are ever mindful of passing on the legacy given to them, to a new generation of musicians. After nearly every concert, parents come up and ask how their children can excel in the arts. In evidence of the band’s hope to raise up a generation of excellence among musicians in the Church, the Annie Moses Band has begun holding “Fine Arts Summer Academies” to share the depth of musical knowledge the band has to offer.

“One of the things I’m grateful for is that we started playing instruments at such a young age that performing music was natural for us,” says Annie. “It was a part of our identity, our success, and what we did as a family. That helped in our journey.”

“It is our mission to inspire churches and parents to invest in the educational and vocational musical talents of their children,” shares Robin Wolaver. “So much money is spent on adult choir and orchestra programs in churches, but we need to raise up a new generation of artists who are Christians.”

Robin met her husband Bill at Oklahoma City University, where both were studying music. After their marriage, the couple determined that the family’s musical legacy would continue with their children. As Bill and Robin’s flourishing songwriting careers brought them to Nashville, they enrolled their eldest daughter, Annie, in violin lessons at just four years of age. That was to be only the beginning of a journey that would take her all the way to the foremost conservatory of music in the world: The Juilliard School. Annie’s younger brothers Alex and Benjamin would soon follow in her quite accomplished footsteps, and the entire family made the move to New England for a time.

Though the Wolaver children were learning from music’s top practitioners and playing in some of the nation’s top venues, including New York City’s Lincoln Center, the actual opportunities to perform classical music were few and far between. As a side project, the family began performing at conventions and corporate events drawing on Bill’s expertise at re-imagining well-known musical pieces with new arrangements. A Christmas concert at the family’s home church showcased the family’s high-energy performance style, and the overwhelming response convinced the Annie Moses Band to pursue their own music career full time.

As the Annie Moses Band’s tour schedule increased, so did their experience in the studio. The band’s first project was basically a do-it-yourself endeavor, recorded in an old church with a squeaking bell tower and no bathrooms. With each album, the Annie Moses Band found its footing diving into a variety of styles, ranging from jazz to classical and pop and just about everything in between.

“Audiences love that there is a variety to the music in our live show - that we play ‘The Orange Blossom Special’ next to ‘Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,’ says Annie. “That gives us an appeal from the grandmas to the little ones.”

The Annie Moses Band is expanding its tour schedule with shows in America’s performing arts centers, taking the message of Christ and the legacy He’s given them beyond the walls of the Church.

“Being a musician means you make music that is an outpouring of your life, and our life is about Jesus,” Annie says. “We want to be able to do that at a church, on stage or in a living room. We want it all to be glorifying to God.” (read less)

Christmas has long been a gateway to expose new ears to the unique sound of the five-member, string-playing
Annie Moses Band, considering audiences often broaden their musical tastes during the holidays. With the release of This Glorious Christmas (October 7, 2008), the all-sibling group makes its most stunning statement yet, telling the story of Christ’s birth, with a mix of original tunes and holiday classics, as never heard before. Annie Moses Band is an eclectic blend of classical, jazz and... (read more)