Page 12 - Phil 23-24 holiday pops digital program

PROGRAM NOTES

by Steven Karidoyanes
The Ghost of Christmas Present

In December 2015 I became totally inspired Nonetheless, with our fine children’s chorus
by Neil McGarry’s one-man presentation available for our Holiday Pops concerts, it
of Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol. It was a perfect place to include them in our
was thrilling, moving and beautiful. I Dickens project. So, where no song existed,
saw so much musical possibility in his I had to create one.
performance that I asked Neil if he would
consider collaborating with us to set part Here are the lyrics I wrote for the song
of his Dickens performance to music. The the children will sing as part of The Ghost of
Ghost of Christmas Present is the result of that Christmas Present. The music is entirely my
collaboration. own.
Since we couldn’t shorten the whole And a Child goes forth alone
Dickens story down to a length where it There is told a tale of a wint’ry trail,
would work in the context of our Holiday Where the snows, in the harsh wind, moan,
Pops program, it was Neil’s idea to do an Of a trav’ling child who is lost in the wild.
excerpt of it. He suggested we do ‘The And a child goes forth alone.
Second Spirit’ portion of the story as it
had a lot of lightness in it that would be Lost in the wood he stopped where he stood
appropriate for our Holiday Pops audience. As the path was, for him, unknown.
It was a brilliant idea! Once we crafted the Then he saw from afar a shining star.
script, I began writing the music. And a child goes forth alone.
This sonic accompaniment for actor and He followed the light through all the night
orchestra is a mix of traditional English ‘Til the chill turned his feet to stone.
Christmas carols, as well as original He grew weak and cold, then he felt
variations on a ‘Cratchit theme’ I created for consoled.
when references to Bob Cratchit’s family are And a child goes forth alone.
an integral part to telling the Dickens story.
For he heard a bell and the song, “Noël,”
The music also calls for a children’s chorus. From his church (a familiar tone),
Dickens, himself, suggests as much when So he followed the sound to that hallow’d
detailing the Christmas dinner of the poor ground.
Cratchit family: And a Child comes forth alone.

All this time the chestnuts and the jug went Special thanks must go to my dear friend
round and round; and by-and-bye they had a and colleague, Neal Hampton. With
song, about a lost child traveling in the snow, his experience as both a songwriter
from Tiny Tim, who had a plaintive little voice, and conductor, he proved an invaluable
and sang it very well indeed. sounding board to help me craft the lyrics
to this song, as well as give me constant
I could find no such song. Not in the Oxford encouragement while writing what would
Book of Carols, nor the Oxford Book of Ballads, become the 20 minutes of music for The
nor on the many literary websites I explored Ghost of Christmas Present.
that wrote about Dickens or his era.

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