Benedict Sheehan A Christmas Carol

for narrator, SATB soloists, and SATB choir unaccompanied, with optional bones In this compelling work for narrator, soloists, and choir, Sheehan presents an engaging musical dramatization of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. Dickens's text has been artfully abridged by Matthew Guard to facilitate concert performance, and the narration is seamlessly woven into Sheehan's richly diverse score. Suited to performance in a variety of settings, this work sees imaginative arrangements of traditional carols and vibrant and accessible original music combine to bring a familiar festive tale to life.

18 & b b “Business!”

18 & b b “Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands, “Mankind was my business. [WITH SOPRANO] The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence, were, all, my business. Why did I walk through crowds of fellow-beings with my eyes turned down? I am here tonight to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate. Ó . π Œ Œ œ SOPRANO SOLO Peace ˙ œ œ on nœ # œ earth, good ˙ œ ˙. will to men, w. . ˙ S. œ Œ A. ∏ TUTTI œ The ˙ œ œ œ œ 23 world in so - lemn ? b b w. ∑ w. ∑ w. Ó . Œ Œ œ From BASS SOLO π w. œ œ œ œ œ œ heav’n’s all - gra - cious ˙. T. # ˙. œ Œ œ king; B. ∏ TUTTI ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ 24 & b b You will be haunted by Three Spirits.” [IN b. 24 REST] “I—I think I’d rather not,” said Scrooge. “Without their visits,” said the Ghost, “you cannot hope to shun the path I tread. For your own sake, remember what has passed between us!” The apparition walked backward, and floated through an open window out upon the bleak, dark night. U # ˙ œœ œ Œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ still - ness lay to hear the an - gels p U ˙ . ˙ œ sing, SOPRANO SOLO to ˙ œ œ . j œ œ hear the an - gels ∏ w. sing. for online perusal only S. A. T. ? b b 29 & b b & b b V b b œ ˙ œ œ Œ œ u ∑ ∑ Ó . Œ Œ π œ ah ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙. ˙. p ˙ ˙ u Œ ∑ Ó . Œ Œ œ ah π ∑ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ Scrooge followed to the window, desperate in his curiosity. The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. Every one of them wore chains like Marley’s Ghost. They faded into the mist together; and the night became as it had been when he walked home. Ó . Œ Œ Œ Œ œ ah π œ ˙ œ œ ah ah ˙ œ œ ˙ œ ah TUTTI π ah ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ah ah ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ . ah J œ œ # œ ˙. ah ah ˙ œ œ ˙. ah ˙ . #˙. w. ah U ˙. Ó . U ˙. Ó . U ˙. Ó . ah U B. ? b b ˙ œ œ ˙. w. w. w. U ∑ ah & b b ? b b ˙ œ œ ˙ œ ∑ Œ Œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ w. ˙ œ œ ˙˙ œ œ œ . w. j œ œ # œ ˙. œ œ ˙ ˙ . #˙. w. w. U ˙. ˙. Ó . ˙. u Ó . U Scrooge closed the window. He tried to say “Humbug!” but stopped at the first syllable. Much in need of repose, he went straight to bed and fell asleep upon the instant.

24 7. Remember Thomas Ravenscroft (c.1588–1635) BENEDICT SHEEHAN SOPRANO ALTO & b b & b b Eerie and ominous q = 72 P œ p œ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ Re - mem - ber, O thou ˙ man, œ œ œ œ œ œ O thou ˙ man, œ œ œ œ œ œ O thou ˙ man, ˙ œ Re œ œ œ œ œ - mem - ber, O thou œ œ œ œ TENOR V b b Re p œ - mem - œ ber, ˙ œ O thou man, œ œ œ œ O thou man, œ œ œ ˙ Re - mem - ber, O thou œ œ œ œ œ œ BASS ? b b Re P œ - mem - œ ber, œ œ # œ œ O thou man, œ œ nœ O thou man, # ˙ œ œ œ œ Re œ - mem - ber, O thou œ œ œ # œ Re - mem - ber, O thou man, O thou man, O thou man, Re - mem - ber, O thou & b b ? b b 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 Eerie and ominous q = 72 œ P œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ # œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ # ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # 6 for online perusal only & b b ˙ œ 4 2 œ œ œ Nœ 4 3 man, Thy time is & b b œ n˙ 4 2 œ œ 4 3 man, Thy time is V b b œ œ œ 4 2 œ œ 4 3 man, Thy time is ? b b ˙ œ 4 2 œ # œ 4 3 man, Thy time is & b b ˙ œ œ n˙ 4 2 œ œ Nœ œ œ 4 3 ? b b Œ ˙ œ œ 4 2 œ œ #œ 4 3 ˙ spent. œ Re P # ˙ œ spent. ˙ spent. ˙ spent. Re œ Re p œ Re # ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ - mem - ber, O thou œ œ œ œ - mem - ber, O thou œ ˙ - mem - ber, œ ˙ - mem - ber, œ œ œ œ œ ˙˙ ˙ man, ˙ man, œ How œ How œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ O thou man, œ œ œ O thou man, œ œ œ œ