KC Studio: Review - A CHRISTMAS CAROL is "ethereal" and "refreshing"

…Sheehan had a painterly approach to his score, bringing a range of techniques to the piece. Many of the songs and carols he used dated back to the 15th or 16th centuries, some obscure and others more familiar, like “God Rest You Merry” or “Deck The Hall.” 

He applied to each tune a particular palette, adjusting to the flow of the story. At times, the choir echoed the spoken text with ethereal effect. Of course, they intoned the ding dong of bells during Marley’s visitation, but they also served as violins a-tuning, shifting up and down, at the beginning of “Fezziwig’s Ball,” leading into a rousing triple meter as the characters danced in our imaginations. Sheehan dipped into dissonances generously, emphasizing the terror and tensions caused by the ghostly visitors. 

The moment where it was revealed by the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come that Tiny Tim would die was touching, leading into a haunting “Coventry Carol,” soloist Meredith Barreth with an ornamented lament. But there was an eager brightness to the singing at Scrooge’s awakening, featuring the tune “Gloucestershire Wassail.” 

When so many productions involve lavish sets and pedantic period details, it was refreshing to see the story stripped to its essence, simple and direct, focusing on Dickens’ wry and revealing language, the message of repentance and charity wrapped cozily in song.

Read full review here: https://kcstudio.org/the-kansas-city-chorale-presents-a-christmas-carol/