The Christmas Revels, December 19, 2004, Moores Opera House

The Christmas Revels is a Christmas show that presents the traditions and customs of a particular culture while having traditions of its own. The show is presented each year by Revels Houston. This year's show was titled A Scottish Celebration of the Winter Solstice. (Past shows have included the Italian Renaissance, Nordic culture, and Meso-American culture, to name a few.) The show is something of a song-and-dance review of the culture and includes copious opportunities for the audience to sing along. Songs in this show included "Deck the Hall," "Derry Ding Dong Dason," "Skye Boat Song," "Will Ye No' Come Back Again," and of course "Auld Lang Syne" (including a version with the original melody written by Burns). The performers presented several examples of Scottish country dancing, and there was Highland dancing and Scottish step dancing. One young lady (not credited very well in the program) performed a lively and impressive version of the Argyle Broadswords dance accompanied by live bagpipers; my calves are still cramped just from watching. My favorite dance of the evening was the "Hebridean Weaving Lilt," which is a group dance inspired by the motions of a handloom. Purely musical sets ably played by the musicians were interspersed with vocal renditions. Jayne Tankersley and the ensemble gave a moving performance of the ballad "Ca' the Yowes, " which starts

Ca' the yowes to the knowes,

Ca' them whare the heather grows,

Ca' them whare the burnie rowes,

My bonnie dearie!

As I gaed down the water side,

There I met my shepherd lad,

He row'd me sweetly in his plaid

And he ca'd me his dearie.

(That's Scottish English, by the way.) Also of note were Christy Hood's performance of "When I was No' But Sweet Sixteen" and Jane Tankersley and Michael Vaugh with the Gaelic "Mo Run Geal Dileas." The program was rounded out with traditional children's song charmingly sung by the "bonnie bairns," the telling of a Scottish folk legend, and a silly but funny mummer's play. The show ended as it traditionally does with "The Sussex Mummers' Carol," which calls a blessing on the audience.