“Dickens’ tale is obviously familiar, yet it feels reborn in this engrossing Skylark treatment,
and one comes away from the experience deeply moved.” -Ron Schepper, Textura
and one comes away from the experience deeply moved.” -Ron Schepper, Textura
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A Christmas CarolExperience the magic of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol in Skylark’s musical interpretation, narrated by actor Christine Baranski. Working from the original text abridged by Skylark artistic director Matthew Guard, composer Benedict Sheehan has created a score that weaves familiar Christmas carols into the fabric of the Dickens story for an unforgettable new version of a holiday classic. Every holiday season, the Morgan displays the original 1843 manuscript of A Christmas Carol in J. Pierpont Morgan’s historic library. Attendees are invited to view the manuscript before the concert from 5:30-6:30 PM.
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Christine Baranski, StorytellerChristine Baranski is a decorated American actress, singer and producer. Working across film, television and stage, she’s taken home 15 Emmy Award nominations and a win for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Recently, she received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Diane Lockhart in the legal drama series The Good Wife – a role she maintained for six consecutive seasons – and its spinoff series The Good Fight.
Baranski is well known for her roles in numerous successful television films, most notably her portrayal of Kate in To Dance with the White Dog and as Prunella Stickler in Eloise at the Plaza, and Eloise at Christmastime. On stage, Baranski has earned two Tony Awards for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her part in the Broadway production of The Real Thing and Rumours, and a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical for her starring role as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. On the silver screen, Baranski starred in the critically acclaimed feature The Birdcage with Robin Williams before acting alongside Sarah Michelle Gellar and Reese Witherspoon in the modern classic Cruel Intentions. Later, Baranski secured a place in children’s hearts with her outstanding performance as Martha May Whovier, acting opposite Jim Carrey in Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In 2008, Baranski received widespread critical acclaim for her portrayal of Tanya Chesham-Leigh in Mamma Mia! and its sequel Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. |
Photo courtesy of Miriam Sheehan
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Benedict Sheehan, ComposerGRAMMY®-nominated conductor and composer Benedict Sheehan has been called “a remarkable musician” (Choral Journal). He is Artistic Director of the Saint Tikhon Choir and the newly-founded Artefact Ensemble, as well as Director of Music at St. Tikhon’s Monastery and Seminary in Pennsylvania. His Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (2020), on which he conducts the Saint Tikhon Choir, has garnered critical acclaim as “simply beyond praise for excellence” (Fanfare), “radiant...superb...a masterstroke” (MusicWeb International), and “a new standard for excellence in the American choral landscape” (The Living Church Magazine). His innovative choral “story score” was featured on Skylark’s 2021 GRAMMY®-nominated album Once Upon A Time, and has been hailed as “evocative” (Gramophone), “quite extraordinary” (Limelight), and “otherworldly” (Boston Musical Intelligencer). Benedict’s new Vespers was recorded in 2021 by the Saint Tikhon Choir under the composer’s direction, and was also released in November of 2021. Sheehan’s music is published by Oxford University Press, Artefact Publications, and others. Benedict lives in Pennsylvania with his wife Talia and their seven daughters.
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