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The 1998 Christmas Revels Features Scandinavia
“...From the North the Wind is blowing,
Hear it singing through the hall;
Gather now to drive back winter...”

So begins the 1998 annual winter solstice celebration, The Christmas Revels, this year transporting us to Scandinavia and the glorious music, dance and storiesof Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceleand and the FæroeIslands. This exciting show centers around a powerful retellingof the "...age old Northland stories..." drawn from the Finnish national epic "The Kalevala."

Compiled by Elias Lönrot in the 1850's from tales whose origins are lost to antiquity, the Kalevala is the cornerstone of Finnish culture, inspiring Sibelius' magnificent "Finlandia" symphony. Dramatized by Revels' own Susan Cooper and narrated by Rolf Stang and Sigrin Gylfadottir, larger-than-life puppets created by Ralph Lee and masked figures bring two of the Kalevala's most dynamic tales to life; that of the birth of the world and the story of the dramatic theft and returning of the light. You can believe that in a world with months of darkness, they take celebrating the return of the light very seriously!

Highlighting this year's production will be members ofthe very talented Karelian Folk Ensemble from Karelia, a Finnish-speaking province in Russia; nyckelharpa player, Leif Alpsjø from Sweden; and renowned hardanger fiddler, Tony Weinberg. We will also have a rare opportunity to see some truly spectacular solo and ensemble Scandinavian folk dances. Springar dances, Karen Brennesvik, Tom Løvli and Reidar Meinstad, from Norway, will perform the famed Hallingdance in which the men compete to see who will be the first to kick the hat from a stick held high above their heads by a woman. Tom is the holder of the title for 1997.

This year's show also features the magical children's tale, "The Three Billy Goats Gruff," and a performance of the "Sankta Lucia," a traditional Swedish processional for the Festival of Light.

Of course, what would Christmas Revels be without the Revels Northland Chorus, the Tomte Children, the Greenwich Morris Men, Half Moon Sword and the traditional Revels favorites like the "Lord of the Dance," Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, "SussexMummers' Carol" and much, much more! ¤

Revels takes the stage at Symphony Space, December 11, 12, and 13. Call 212 864 5400 for tickets. Make your plans early to bring your family and friends to...

"...come and sing great Ilmarinen,
Gather to hear Väinämöinen
Sing and Play and Celebrate..."

In a sneak preview of the '98 Christmas Revels, the board held a lavish Scandinavian Mid-Summer Festival on June 12th, in one of the lovelyreception halls at the General Theological Seminary in Manhattan. Mid-Summer is an important and actively celebrated event in the land of the midnight sun, wherelarge groups of friends get together, light huge bonfires andsing, dance and tell stories all night long.

John Langstaff, founder and artistic director of Revels,Inc., co-hosted the event with Cynthia Shaw, music director ofNew York Revels, leading the audience in singing traditional music from Scandinavia and the British Isles. A very rainy evening did nothing to dampen the spirits of the enthusiastic gathering as they sang, danced and heard stories from Finland, Norway and Sweden.

Elizabeth Freedman with six members of a Scandinavian dance troupe and a trio of musicians, known as Sweet Prospect, featuring Erol Tamerman, Andrea Larsen, and Grace Check, provided Swedish and Norwegian songs and dances. In a snippet from the upcoming Revels, the dancers led the audience in "Nu Är Det Jul Igen," a line dance traditionally performed around the family Christmas tree in Sweden.

In between the singing and dancing, a feast of Scandinavian dishes was beautiful prepared and presented by Argyle Wolf-Knapp, a member of the Revels chorus who is a professional caterer with Marriott Corporation. He was assisted by Robin Buck, also a caterer and feng shui consultant,who was responsible for the beautiful presentation and welcoming atmosphere of the event.

The event raised several thousand dollars for NY Revels, provided a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Mid-Summer and to once again sing along with the master, the magical John Langstaff.

BECOME A FRIEND OF REVELS!

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Mail to:
New York Revels, Inc., 154 Christopher Street,3B, New York, NY 10014.

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THANKS ...
Our hearty thanks to the following people for contributing their writing, organizing and layout skills to the newletter! Our writers included Nancy Boyd, Sarah Jencks, KenLangstaff, Gary Miller, and Nancy Petaja. Our technical staff included Michael Burke, Mark Okladek and Sharon Lau Quan.

If you would like to contribute your writing or layout talent to the newsletter, contact Jonathan Fluck at the Revels office, 212 206 6875, with your ideas.¤

Hilse Velkoommen! Miss that holiday spirit? Uff da. Shed those summer blahs and sign on as a Backstage Reveler volunteer for this year's Revels and help make it the best ever! We have small jobs, big jobs, light jobs and muscle jobs, artistic jobs, gopher jobs, and jobs that can fit all kinds of busy or not-so-busy schedules. It'll look great on your résumé. Other benefits of volunteering include working with a phenomenal group and the priceless satisfaction that comes with being part of a committed team that produces a truly great show!

If you are interested, we want to hear from you. Please call the Volunteer Coordinator, Nancy Boyd, at 212 666 7728 or the Production Manager, Jonathan Fluck, at 212 206 6875. Here are some of the positions:

Assistant to Producer(Nancy Petaja)	Lots of different discrete tasks. Great chance to gain an inside view of producing a complex and diverse show. Training provided free.
Clerical/Office	Help w/ mailings & other office/administrative work.
Web-site programmer	Help design, develop and maintain our home page
Assistant to the Production Manager(Jonathan Fluck)	Lots of discrete tasks. Might include errands, supporting the cast, filling in for other volunteers, calls, mailings
Assistant Stage Manager	Keeping people organized, helping call the show. Chance to learn the ropes.
Make-up Assistants	Assist performers (and make-up artist) with make-up, need knowledge of stage make-up.
Costume Assistants	Fit performers with costumes, make minor alterations, simple sewing ability needed.
Technical director	Coordinate set build during load-in, supervise strike, be present at performances in case of problems.
Load-in	Load/unload trucks that bring equipment to the theater. Some heavy, some light. The more the merrier...
Strike	Take down set, load trucks. Cast party doesn't begin until this is done. Unsung heroes, apply here.
Concession manager	Inventory & organize concession items, including performers' items, set up, supervise sales help and cash intake.
Concession Assistant	Sell Revels products before and after the show, and at intermission.
Program Compiler/Proof Reader	Gather, organize and type up draft of program.
Advertising	Sell ad space in the program.
Group Sales Coordinator	Identify, market & coordinate ticket sales information to appropriate groups.
Graphic Artist	Make display boards for front of theater. Create display for concessions.
Wrangler	Watch and keep child-performers occupied (quiet) backstage between their numbers. Need good rapport with kids andpatience.
Hospitality	Provide room and breakfast for our musicians and dancers from Norway and Karelia, Russia. We have 7 guests arriving. Manhattan location preferred but not mandatory if public transportation is available.

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And...
Help Find a Name for the Revels Newsletter!
The New York Revels newsletter is just out and we are in search of a catchy moniker—one which will ring in the ears of revelers far and wide. Please contribute your creativity to this endeavor. If you have a suggestion send via mail or fax to JonathanFluck. His fax number is 212 206 7037. The brilliant namer will receive two tickers to this year's ChristmasRevels.¤ Top

Here's What You Told Us...
170 people responded to the audience survey that we included in the Spring fundraising letter. The survey was sent to all contributors and people tagged as ticket buyers on our mailing list. Thanks to all of you thattook the time to complete it! The NY Revels board conducted the survey to better understand the composition of the Revels audience and their preferences, and to get feedback on how to improve. Here's what we found.

Our audience is loyal. The average number of performances attended by respondents is five. Twenty-five percent have attended ten or more.

No surprise to you New Yorkers, our audience is of many minds when it comes to the content of the show. The first debate is between those who like the early Revels performances—which contained ancient Celtic and mediæval material from England, Ireland,Wales, Scotland, and norther France—and those who wish to explore new cultures. Even when we introduce new material, however, our audience does not want us to lose sight of those elements that makethe Revels "Revels." Namely, they want to continue dancing the "Lord of the Dance" in the aisles, watching the mysterious Abbots Bromley Horn Dance, and singing carols along with the Chorus.

The second debate revolves around the amount and type of religious music in the show. This is a challenging one forus as we struggle to build an inclusive atmosphere where allcan share a common celebration of the Solstice.

Underneath, however, are some very strong common themes:65% of our audience attend the Revels to participate in an event that ties back to anicent, prehistorical solstice rituals; 63% to actively participate in the singing and dancing; 63% to experience traditional material from many different cultures; 52% because the Revels is differentfrom the usual fare.

On the whole (84%), our audience perceives that th equality of the show has remained the same or improved. However, we received many valuable suggestions. This newsletter is one of the first we are implementing. Others included: incorporating more detail in the program notes; adding performance dates; being more demanding of the cast to insure high quality; producing more events throughout the year; being accurate and rigorous in the presentation of traditional material; and improving our public relations and outreach to other communities.

How do people feel about the Revels? Word of mouth is by far the most effective: 71% of our audience first heard about the Revels from friends or performers or Revels records and tapes; 21% saw a print advertisement; 8% received a ticket flyer. On the other hand, when seeking information about the entertainment: 75% of the respondents look in the New York Times;21% New York Magazine; 30% look at their regional newspapers.

Revels attendees come in groups and are ready to celebrate. Thirty-seven and a half percent of our audience bring children and 88% combine attending the Revels with dinner or another activity with their family or friends.

Where do we go from here? Stay tuned as we respond to your ideas!¤

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No. 1 — Reveillé — December 1998 The New York Revels Newsletter

No. 1 — Reveillé — December 1998
The New York Revels Newsletter