‘Winter Magic’ to bring history back to the holidays

By Shawntai Brown
Western Herald

New holiday traditions may include wrapping a new touch screen phone, baking organic cookies, and for much of America, penny pinching by scratching gift recipients off the list and canceling the company Christmas party. Early music Michigan, however, wants to take the holiday season back to its roots with a concert called “Winter Magic.”

Dec. 12 and 13 Early Music Michigan (EMM), formerly the Michigan Bach Collegium, will present “Winter Magic,” featuring the voices and instrumentals of EMM, as well as dancing from the students of the Quinn school of Irish dance.

Now in her second year, EMM member Mary Jo Ramsey, who moved to Michigan from Virginia, wrote the night’s performance. “I’m directing the show and I’ve gotten to know [the members of EMM], and I think they need a play because they are much too serious when they sing,” joked Ramsey. EMM is composed of professional singers of old music, such as that of Bach, who have had years of experience and show an overwhelming love for the craft.

Ramsey hopes that the show will bring the historical moments of the holidays into an entertaining combination of the variety of artistic elements. “I did a show before that overlapped the different traditions,” Ramsey said. “All of these traditions, what they had in common is they are born out of this idea that darkness is approaching and the light needs to come in.”

The performance will actually celebrate, not just the winter season, but the rebirth of the sun, calling on Yule, Solstice, Christmas and the Twelfth Night. The show, as its names gives away, will highlight the magic of the holidays and combine mythology, poetry, traditional dance and music.

“There is a storyline,” said Ramsey. “It’s about the transformation of winter and the longest, darkest night.” Taking place in Ireland, “Winter Magic” begins in the mid 19th century. At the time, many were being evicted by their landlords for not making a good enough living off the land. One family consists of a man and his three daughters, who he encourages to all find a suitor and make their own living.

Each time the women are invited to marry a suitor and mysteriously receive a bag of gold, which seems to appear out of nowhere. As the story progresses, the family is encountered by St. Nicholas and realizes it is he who has been providing the gold.

Other characters that make an appearance in the show include the Green Man from Celtic mythology and the Wise Woman, a village healer. Ancient traditions expressed through dance will be performed, such as Abbot’s Bromley, a processional dance typically done by men to lure the “stag to the hunt” in order to survive the winter.

We’ve never done a staged show like this at Christmas,” said Ramsey, adding that typically the event would be a concert of traditional songs and not a full production. According to Ramsey, EMM is looking to attract more than just Bach and choral lovers. “We’re hoping that it reaches out to the community a little bit more.”

The show is led by EMM Artistic Director Eric Strand. Both shows begin at 7:30 p.m. at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (247 W. Lovell St.). Tickets are $15 for adults, seniors receive a discounted price of $12 and students are invited to attend at the cost of just $2. Tickets can be purchased at the Epic Center Box Office, or right on campus at Miller Auditorium.

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Posted by HeraldAdmin on Dec 7 2008. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Cody Kimball
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