The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again
The Christmas Revels, one of the region’s most unique and popular holiday traditions since 1975, enjoyed a new beginning in 2019 with our move to Lebanon Opera House. “An English Celebration of the Winter Solstice” was enthusiastically received both by longtime Revels audiences and those seeing the show for the first time. Over 3,000 people attended the five performances, with audience members coming from 87 New Hampshire and 92 Vermont towns, making this a true regional event. Although Revels North was eagerly anticipating the follow-up to our debut production in our new home, COVID-19 forced us to change plans, as it has for every performing arts organization across the country. Revels North made the necessary decision to cancel last December’s live Christmas Revels production due to the pandemic, and we turned this challenge into an exciting opportunity, both for Revels North and our audience.
Revels North
proudly presents
a short film called
The Christmas Revels:
All Shall Be Well Again
Available on Vimeo On Demand
Our artistic partners included SALT Project, a small four-time Emmy-award winning non-profit film production company based in Keene, NH, and No Strings Marionette Company of Randolph, VT.
This film, which is approximately 17 minutes long, kept the annual Christmas Revels tradition alive for our audience as a surprising, entertaining, and safe alternative to the live production. We provided a range of ways for people to view this film in their homes, including for free on NH PBS and on CATV. We recognized that in 2020 many families felt severe financial hardship due to COVID-19, so we created free opportunities to view The Christmas Revels to help bring joy, hope, and light to their holidays.
The shortness of the film, the inclusion of SALT Project’s nuanced animation and No Strings Marionette Company’s artistry, and the opportunity for free viewings also appealed to people who had never attended The Christmas Revels before and wanted to get a sense of why it has been a beloved tradition for 45 years. The response to The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again was wildly enthusiastic. Our hope is that this film itself becomes a new holiday tradition.
Revels North thanks all who watched The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again, and also thanks the many donors, business supporters, and funders who helped make the film's creation possible.
Thank you to Mascoma Bank for underwriting
The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again
Vimeo on Demand
The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again
is available on Vimeo On Demand to rent for $2.99,
or to purchase for $9.99.
Behind The Scenes
This production was led by Nils Fredland, Revels North artistic director since 2015, and Josiah Proietti, longtime Christmas Revels performer and stage director since 2015.
The film production was managed by SALT Project, a small three-time Emmy-award winning non-profit film production company based in Keene, NH dedicated to the craft of visual storytelling. Since 2008, SALT Project has specialized in short films and animation that “help the world catch a glimpse of who you are and what you do.” Examples of SALT’s nuanced animation, which is at the core of our Christmas Revels film, can be viewed here:
SALT’s Emmy-nominated work can be viewed here
(* indicates film won an Emmy Award):
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*Strange Fruit (2015) (recommended for teens and adults)
You can learn more about SALT Project by visiting their website:
Additional artistic partners involved in this film included:
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No Strings Marionette Company of Randolph, VT, a collaborator in the 2015 production of The Christmas Revels, who created "Jack" for our film (shown in photo on left with other No Strings creations)
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Jane Boxall, a percussionist based in Vermont who was a guest artist in the 2019 production at Lebanon Opera House (shown in photo on right at recording session for our film)
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Alex Cumming of Medford, MA, also a guest artist in the 2019 production (center)
Furthermore, local participation is at the core of every Christmas Revels, and this production was no exception as many recent Revels North chorus participants' voices were included in the film.
Image from The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again courtesy of SALT Project.
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Business Supporters
Revels North thanks the following businesses for sponsoring The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again
Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center
Chippers
Dave Walthour Real Estate
Hanover Family Chiropractic
Loch Lyme Lodge
Upper Valley Haven
Thank you for supporting the businesses that support Revels North!
Thank you to Mascoma Bank for underwriting
The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again
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About The Christmas Revels
The Christmas Revels, a beloved Upper Valley tradition for the whole family since 1975, is presented annually by Revels North. We celebrate the holiday season and the turning of the year with singing, dancing, and traditions that span the centuries and the globe. Recent performances have featured the stories, music and traditions of the Northlands, Québec, Ireland, Appalachia, England, and Venice. After over forty years of performances at the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth College, Revels North brought The Christmas Revels to historic Lebanon Opera House in 2019, and in 2020 created the animated short film The Christmas Revels: All Shall Be Well Again as the season's alternative to a live production due to COVID-19.
The Christmas Revels would not be possible without the participation of dozens of children, teens, and adults who take on acting roles, join the chorus, and volunteer with costuming, makeup and hair styling. In typical years, auditions for The Christmas Revels take place in late spring, with rehearsals beginning in September.