Well, the Shortest Day came, and cold and darkness were banished to the sounds of tapping feet and the whoosh of smoke as the 21st annual Christmas Revels marked the turning of the seasons once again. This year’s show, set in early 19th century Quebec, seemed especially appealing to audiences who responded to the fast-paced singing and energetic dancing – as well as to the buffoonery of our resident mummers and actors.

From an Artistic Director’s standpoint, this show was remarkable and instructive in several ways. Here, in no particular order are some of my thoughts about it:

The script, which we basically left intact, came from Revels in Cambridge who, along with Houston in 2005, had good success with it. We were able to engage Pierre Chartrand, who had starred in the two previous presentations of the show, and he was certainly the highlight of our production. Our sister city, Tacoma, presented the same show this year (although obviously without Pierre).

For the first time, we featured a “rapper” sword dance in the show, and hope to welcome back the “Swords of Gridlock” team many times in the future. The chorus group dancing required a considerable amount of extra rehearsal, but I felt the results were well worth it, and Pierre seemed well- satisfied in our ability to perform a convincing representation of Quebecois clogging. Another wonderful addition to the ensemble was Kalia Kliban, our dancing Devil. She is the Squire (ess) of Apple Tree Morris, a Morris team in Sebastopol, and will certainly factor into our plans in the years to come.

In 1991, when her daughter’s rare, hand-carved harp was stolen after a rehearsal of The Christmas Revels, Lisby Mayer’s familiar world of science and rational thinking turned upside down. After the police failed to turn up any leads, a friend suggested she call a dowser–a man who specialized in finding lost objects. With nothing to lose–and almost as a joke–Dr. Mayer agreed. Within two days, and without leaving his Arkansas home, the dowser located the exact California street coordinates where the harp was found.

The Revels Solstice Ensemble now has a Music Director of its very own. Veteran Chorister Dave Watt has agreed to take on the responsibility of conducting rehearsals and maintaining and distributing repertoire for our outreach choral group. He brings excellent musicianship as well as arranging, computer and online skills to the position. A member of the Oakland Symphony Chorus, Dave has become a stalwart in the Bass section of the Christmas Revels. While he will not be able to sing with the Ensemble at the March Scottish Rite event (he is marrying Rachel Medanic the very next day), he and Chorus Manager Helen Wills Brown have assembled a strong group of singers who will be well-prepared to show Revels at its best on St. Patrick's Day.

March 17 - Scottish Rite Theater Restoration Benefit

April 29 - Revels Celebrates May Day at the Oakland Zoo

May 5 - Revels Pub Sing

June 2 & 3 - Christmas Revels Choral Auditions for Adults & Teens

June 22 - Revels Summer Solstice Gala