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.

29 8. The Ghost of

29 8. The Ghost of Christmas Past trans. Percy Dearmer (1867–1936) STAVE 2, Scene 1 In dulci jubilo German traditional adap. and arr. BENEDICT SHEEHAN [CHOIR BEGINS] Light flashed up in the room, and Scrooge found himself face to face with an unearthly visitor. It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium. SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS & b b b b & b b b b V b b b b ? b b b b & b b b b ? b b b b 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 6 8 6 Larghetto q. = 46 ‰ ‰ p œ ah œ œ ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ Larghetto q. = 46 œ p œ œ ‰ ‰ p Uœ . Œ . ah U œœ . Œ . U ∑ U ∑ U œ œœ . Œ . U ∑ ∑ ∑ div. Œ . Œ π j ∑ ∑ œ In Œ . Œ j œ π ∑ œ ∑ ∑ dul - ci ju - bi - œ j œ œ ∑ ∑ j œ œ ∑ j œ j œ lo œ œ ∑ ∑ j œ œ . ∑ ∑ j œ œ . ∑ ˙. Œ . ˙. Œ . ∑ ∑ Œ ∑ Œ œ J Now J ˙. œ ˙. œ ∑ ∑ œ ∑ œ œ J sing with hearts œ J J œ a - J œ 7 & b b b b & b b b b Are you the Spirit whose coming was foretold to me?” asked Scrooge. “I am!” The voice was soft and gentle. ∑ ∑ for online perusal only ∑ ∑ π œ œ J œ œ J Our de-light and plea - ∑ œ . œ . Œ . sure Œ π j œ Lies ˙. œ J œ œ œ J in prae - se - pi - œ oh ˙. o œ œ . J V b b b b œ˙. J œ œ . ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. ˙. - glow! ? b b b b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ & b b b b ? b b b b œ ∑ J œ œ . ˙. ∑ œ ˙. œ J œ œ J œ . ˙. œ j œ œ˙. ˙. j œ œ j œ œ˙. ˙. j œ œ .

30 13 & b b b b “Who, and what are you?” Scrooge demanded. [ON A ] “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Your past. Rise! and walk with me!” As the words were spoken, they passed through the wall, and stood upon an open country road. U ˙. A ˙. ˙. ∏ ˙. œ . Œ . ∑ U ∑ U & b b b b U ˙. ˙. ∏ œ . œ . ˙. œ j œ p œ j œ ˙. U ˙. Al - pha es et O! V b b b b U ˙. u ˙. ˙. ∏ ˙. œ . Œ . ∑ U ∑ ? b b b b U ∑ π œ œ œ J œ J ∏ œ . œ . ˙. œ œ J p œ œ J ˙. U˙. Al - pha es et O, Al - pha es et O! & b b b b ? b b b b U . ˙. ˙ u . π ˙. ˙ œ œ J œ œ J ˙. œ . œ . ∏ . ˙. œ œ . . ˙. ˙ ˙. œ . œ . œ J œ J œ p œ j œ œ J ˙. ˙. U ˙. ˙. u U [CORO TACET] It was a clear, cold, winter day, with snow upon the ground. “Good Heaven!” said Scrooge, “I was a boy here!” “Your lip is trembling,” said the Ghost “You recollect the way?” “Remember it!” cried Scrooge with fervour, “I could walk it blindfold.” They walked along the road, Scrooge recognising every gate, post, and tree. Some shaggy ponies now were seen trotting towards them [CHOIR BEGINS] with boys upon their backs, who called to other boys in country gigs and carts, driven by farmers. All these boys were in great spirits, and shouted to each other— B & b b b b Halting q. = 68 p j œ U 20 œ j œ œ œ J œ œ U œ J . ∑ U ∑ œ œ œ J œ J U œ . œ . & b b b b V b b b b ? b b b b & b b b b ? b b b b p j œ U ‰ ‰ Halting q. = 68 j œ ‰ - bi sunt gau - di œ . œ œ œ œ œ - bi sunt gau - di œ . œ œ ∑ ∑ ∑ œ œ œ j - - a U œ œ œ œ œ œ a U Œ . Œ œ J p In In j U œ œ œ . œ œ œ u Œ . Œ œ J p U Œ . Œ œ J u œ . œ Œ . j œ œ J œ an - y place but . œ œ œ œ œ œ an - y place but . œ œ j œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ for online perusal only Œ . œ there? U œ œ œ There œ U J œ ‰ œ œ œ U œ ‰ there? œ U j œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ . u & There are an - gels œ œ œ œ œ œ œ are an ∑ ∑ œ J œ gels œ J œ œ œ œ œ œ - sing œ sing Œ . ing. jU œ œ . ing Uœ œ J Sing - ing U ∑ U œ . œ . œ - - j œ uœ j œ