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11/17/2025 the harvard choruses presents the world premiere of benedict sheehan's a christmas carol (orchestrated version)Read Now For immediate release: November 17, 2025 Contact Olivia Porada, Administrative Manager for Choral Music, [email protected]  THE HARVARD CHORUSES PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE OF BENEDICT SHEEHAN'S A CHRISTMAS CAROL (ORCHESTRATED VERSION) Saturday, December 6, 2025 – 3:00 PM
Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall, Cambridge, MA Pre-concert Community Sing at 2:15 PM CAMBRIDGE, MA— The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Harvard Glee Club, and Radcliffe Choral Society will present the world premiere performance of Benedict Sheehan’s A Christmas Carol on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 3:00 PM in Sanders Theatre. Conducted by Andrew Clark, Harvard’s Director of Choral Activities, this new work reimagines Charles Dickens’s timeless story for orchestra, chorus, and narrator, bringing fresh musical life to one of literature’s most beloved tales of redemption and joy. A pre-concert community sing led by Cambridge Common Voices—Harvard’s inclusive neurodiverse choir—will begin at 2:15 PM, inviting audience members to join together in seasonal song. The concert will also serve as a benefit for Y2Y Harvard Square, the nation’s first student-run overnight shelter for young adults experiencing homelessness. About the Work Sheehan’s A Christmas Carol is a new large-scale reimagining of his earlier a cappella version, premiered and recorded to critical acclaim by Skylark Vocal Ensemble. The original work, described by conductor Matthew Guard as a “choral movie score,” received widespread praise for its seamless fusion of Dickens’s prose with beloved carols and evocative choral writing. In this orchestral expansion, Sheehan integrates carols from the English tradition--In dulci jubilo, The Boar’s Head Carol, Coventry Carol, and others—woven through Dickens’s narrative to create what he calls “a new sense of meaning” between music and story. “It has always seemed a shame to me that A Christmas Carol didn’t have any Christmas carols in it,” writes Sheehan. “In this work, I’ve endeavored to imbue both the carols and the story with new resonance. My hope is that this reimagining of Dickens’s ghost story of sorrow, redemption, and joy helps each of us become a little more alive—truly alive—to the world and to each other.” About the Composer Benedict Sheehan, three-time GRAMMY® nominee and American Prize winner, has been described as “a conductor and composer to watch in the 21st century” (Concerto.Net). His music—published by Oxford University Press—has been performed by leading ensembles including Skylark, Conspirare, the Choir of Trinity Wall Street, and the BBC Singers. He serves as artistic director of Artefact Ensemble and lives in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley with his wife and collaborator, music educator, soprano, and lyricist Talia Sheehan. Event Details What: World Premiere – A Christmas Carol by Benedict Sheehan Who: Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, Harvard Glee Club, Radcliffe Choral Society, and Orchestra When: Saturday, December 6, 2025, at 3:00 PM Where: Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Pre-concert: Community Sing led by Cambridge Common Voices at 2:15 PM Beneficiary: Y2Y Harvard Square youth shelter For tickets and information, visit the Harvard Box Office website. Comments are closed.
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