A lot can be accomplished in a short period of time if a person has a heart and mind set to put in the hard work and go the extra mile to see dreams become realities. Father-daughter duo, Mat and Savanna Shaw, are perfect exemplars of this fact.
Just 18 months after their fist release, “The Prayer,” went viral, Mat and Savanna Shaw have not only released other songs that have gone viral as well, but they have also performed Live at several venues, and have now released their fourth album.
On Friday, 5 November 2021, Mat and Savanna Shaw’s new Christmas album was released on most music platforms, including Apple Music, iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Music. The album can also be purchased from the store on their official website. Savanna Shaw, 17, told the Deseret News, “I honestly feel like this is the best album that we have done so far. So much work and so much thought and love has gone into this album.”
Mat and Savanna set the perfect tone for the holiday season as their voices blend beautifully together to gift us with familiar Christmas classics featuring some big collaborations, including the Caleb Chapman’s Crescent Super Band — an elite ensemble of 25 young musicians aged 15 – 18 in Utah, Jim Brickman, and GENTRI.
The album has two original songs. The song “A Little Bit of Christmas” was written especially for them and features singer-songwriter Jim Brickman. The song “More Than Hands Can Hold” is a Shaw original that was inspired by Mat Shaw’s time in the Philippines. Mat told the Deseret News, “I remember the kids in the Philippines, especially at Christmastime, they were so happy. It wasn’t so much about the presents for them, but they found so much joy in just the simple things. This song is about Christmas being more than just what our hands can hold.”
Even the youngest member of the Shaw family, Pennie Jean, is featured on the mash up of “Where Are You Christmas?” and “When Christmas Comes to Town.” And wife and mother, Brooke Shaw, is featured in the choir for the song, “Angels We Have Heard (Glory Be).”
There are 11 songs on the album — “Sleigh Ride,” “Believe,” “More than Hands Can Hold,” “A Little Bit of Christmas,” “White Christmas,” “Where Are You Christmas/When Christmas Comes to Town,” “Mr. Grinch,” “Breath of Heaven,” “Silent Night”/ “Still, Still, Still,” “Angels We Have Heard (Glory Be),” and “Mary Did You Know?” Most of the songs will sound all too familiar to the casual listener, but all the tunes have that extra added Mat and Savanna flair to make each song even more special.
As an interesting side note – Mat and Savanna released the music video for the song, “Angels We Have Heard (Glory Be),” on YouTube at 10:00 a.m. EST on Friday, 5 November 202, and as of 3:30 p.m. EST, the video has already garnered more than 9,000 views.
Mat and Savanna Shaw’s 2021 Christmas Tour
Mat and Savanna Shaw will be spreading holiday cheer and joy with their upcoming Christmas tour, which begins on 30 November 2021. As part of the tour, there will also be a live streamed concert from the Eccles Theater in Salt Lake City, Utah, that will feature BYU Vocal Point and singer Peter Hollens.
Mat Shaw has said, “The magic with live music is that it really has a way of touching the soul that not really much else can. It just pierces our souls and breaks down our walls and defenses. We really look forward to performing.”
Below are the tour dates:
- Nov. 30 — San Juan Capistrano, California
- Dec. 5 — Auburn, Alabama
- Dec. 6 — Seattle, Washington
- Dec. 7 — Spokane, Washington
- Dec. 8 — Salem, Oregon
- Dec. 11 — Santa Clarita, California
- Dec. 12 — Los Angeles, California
- Dec. 14 — Santa Rosa, California
- Dec. 18 — Salt Lake City, Utah
- Dec. 22 — Gilbert, Arizona
