A Charles Dickens Christmas
by John Hoffacker
"A Charles Dickens Christmas" was performed on December 1 & 2, 2001

When Charles Dickens published A Christmas Carol in 1843, his audience was obviously ready for it. The first publication run sold out immediately and presses were hired to reprint the book in the tens of thousands to meet the demands in England and America. The time was right.

The Industrial Revolution was at full steam and families were trying to cope with greatly increased demands on their time. Dickens’s fable about old Scrooge learning to lift his nose from the grindstone, finding love in his family and community, revealed the solution that many were looking for. Indeed, some people say that our modern celebration of Christmastime has its roots in the themes that emerged in the middle of the 19th century, especially in the importance of friends and family.

Our holiday concert this December explores the world of Dickens. To frame the first half of our program we sing several English carols, beginning with three he would have known: “My Dancing Day,” “The Wexford Carol,” and “Wassail.” At the end of the first half we sing some modern carols that capture the convivial spirit celebrated in Dickens’s story, including John Gardner’s new and exciting arrangement of “Tomorrow Shall be My Dancing Day,” Harold Darke’s “In the Bleak Midwinter,” and William Mathias’s wonderful dance, “Sir Christèmas.”

Beyond the carol and its association with community celebration, two other forces were important in shaping the modern Christmas — the German influence and tree and the lullaby. Felix Mendelssohn, England’s favorite composer of the time, wrote a short motet to the text “Rejoice, all ye on earth, for the Savior has appeared!” The other two pieces we sing are a beautiful lullaby by the mysterious German composer Karl Leuner, “The Shepherds’ Cradle Song,” and another lullaby that you probably know. “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht!” (“Silent Night”) was originally composed in a small church in Austria by the parish organist. It soared in popularity when several family singing groups touring around Germany and Austria made it part of their repertoire. We’ll sing Franz Gruber’s original version, featuring soloists and our own Jamie Cabot on guitar.

“Ave Maria,” a motet by Palestrina, illustrates the awakening of interest in antiquity led by groups like Boston’s Handel & Haydn Society around 1850. This theme continues as we celebrate the holidays today, surrounded by many historical elements, including medieval wreaths and Thomas Nast’s 1860s illustrations of Santa Claus.

To close our concert, I’ve chosen a wonderful musical setting of a story by Kenneth Grahame, John Rutter’s “The Reluctant Dragon.” It seems to me that stories and fables convey the spirit of the season in a unique way, a way that all of us in Cantemus hope will enhance your celebration. Warmest wishes for a wonderful holiday!