Over The Rhine, Norwood's leading soft-rock group, played its annual Christmastime area concert Saturday night, this time at the Taft Theatre.

        The band is in the midst of a national tour, and this hometown stop featured a three-act bill strong enough to be reversed in order if not for Over The Rhine's Queen City stronghold. Opening was Christian-pop band Sixpence None the Richer, followed by Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith.

        OTR, led by the husband-and-wife team of Linford Detweiler and Karin Bergquist, did an hour-and-35-minute set crafted especially for Cincinnati, complete with carols, duets and collaborations, and year-end thank-yous to friends and business associates. The five others rounding out the band included Dale Baker, drummer for Sixpence None the Richer.

        The majority of the set was probably not much different than what OTR takes on the road: lots of old favorites with a bit of yet-to-be-released material in the mix.

        The only-in-Cincinnati segments included: Ms. Bergquist and Mr. Sexsmith duetting on ""This Tearing Light,” a song written by OTR guitarist Jack Henderson; a quiet “Rhapsodie” with Mr. Detweiler's piano and Ms. Bergquist's vocals accompanied by Sixpence guitarist Matt Slocum on cello; versions of ""Silent Night,” which the band has recorded, and John Lennon's ""Happy Xmas (War is Over),” the night's send-off with Mr. Sexsmith and Sixpence's Leigh Nash joining in on vocals.

        During her band's opening set Ms. Nash gushed about her long-time enthusiasm for Over The Rhine, and you could hear the influence of Ms. Bergquist's airy stylings in the younger singer's voice and OTR's folk rock in Sixpence's music. The band's hour-long set included pop-radio hits ""Kiss Me” and ""There She Goes.” The band participated in the celebration with its own versions of ""It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” and ""God Rest You Merry Gentlemen.”

        Within Mr. Sexsmith's 40-minute solo set, the singer brought both good and bad tidings: He has been dropped by his record label, but a new album, produced by Steve Earle, is due around April.

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