Biography

Kristin Scott Benson releases reverent duet of “O’ Holy Night”

Award winning banjoist and recording artist Kristin Scott Benson releases her rendition of the classic Christmas hymn, “O Holy Night.”

Kristin’s is an instrumental duet, its sweet rolling banjo bedding with the familiar melody played both by Kristin on banjo and by her husband Wayne on tremolo mandolin and mandola. Layered instrumentation and a smooth tempo give the version an effect that is reverent and stirring, haunting and hallowed.

“I've loved this song, since I was a kid. A guy at our church would sing it at every Christmas Eve service and it has always put me in the mindset of worship,” says Kristin. “I originally wanted to do this as a solo banjo piece, but loved all the choir arrangements people have created, so Wayne added mandolin and mandola parts to have a similar effect.”

Wayne adds, “Kristin has had a borderline obsession with this melody, to the point that she even played a version on my electric mandolin. After coming home from teaching at the Blue Ridge Banjo Camp, she was really inspired and started working on a solo version for banjo. We both thought it could benefit from some layered voices, so I played several mandolin and mandola tracks to create a choir of strings, behind the banjo.”