When and how did you first get involved with Revels?

I saw my first Revels in 2004, at the age of eleven. It was the wonderful Quebecois show with the flying canoe! To this day, my parents and I talk about that production like it might have been a dream: “The canoe flew above our heads, right? You saw that too?”

Most folks tell a version of this story when they reflect on their first time in a Revels audience. I went in expecting a nice performance. I came out transformed, like my heart had burst open sometime between Acts One and Two. 2004 was a lifetime ago, but the post-Revels feeling of “I’d like more of whatever that was, please” has never left me.

What other activities have you done with Revels?

It has been my honor to sing in the Revels chorus for five Christmases in a row, beginning with the Welsh show in 2015. Part of me still can’t believe it. Not long ago, I wouldn’t have called myself a singer. Nowadays, the best part of my life is learning and sharing music. I certainly haven’t found a better, more sacred, more fun place to do it than on the Sanders stage. When I lend my voice to that chorus, I can hear my joy echoing back from the beloved castmates around me, and from out in the audience, too. It’s magic.

What do you like about being involved with Revels?

You know that thing everyone says about the Revels community becoming your family? It’s utterly, beautifully true. Revels has felt like family since I first showed up to rehearsal as a starstruck newcomer who didn’t speak any Welsh. Revels still feels like family in 2020, when the need for physical distance makes activities like group singing — to put it delicately — tricky.

There aren’t many situations in life that come with a ready-made group of friends who are the exact same type of nerd that you are. When you find a community like this, cherish your good luck and hold those friends tight!

Of what contribution or achievement are you the most proud?

It’s unreal that “Pretty Home” — the Shaker tune from the 2019 American Crossroads show where I sang the first few lines solo — appears on the 50th anniversary album. I am humbled to have my own “patch” on the quilt of Revels history.

Are there any particular events with Revels that made an impact on you?

Revels staged a remarkable show in 2013, set in the northwest corner of Spain. It centered around the ancient pilgrimage route, el camino de Santiago. Though I Revelled from the audience that year and not the chorus, the music — in particular, the Galician bagpipes! — totally rattled my soul. Listen to “The Road to Compostela” album and you’ll see what I mean.

About a month after the Galician Revels closed, I traveled to Spain for a college semester abroad. I promise I didn’t plan for these two things to coincide! Of course I had to get myself to Santiago de Compostela to hear the raw power of those bagpipes again.

I walked a tiny bit of the camino and sang the All Sings from the Revels program I carried with me. I went inside the cathedral for the Pilgrim’s Mass, where, sure enough, the giant incense burner was swinging to and fro just like it had on stage. I was alone in Santiago, but I felt the same full heart as if I were packed in the Sanders seats with a thousand like-minded Revellers.

Does anyone in your life play a supporting role in your involvement?

How many paragraphs do I get? Every fellow chorus member who has made me laugh on stage, every Reveler who has given me a ride to the train after a post-rehearsal pub sing or a CD recording. Everyone who has hosted a party or a potluck, or a “let’s-practice-our-Norwegian” cram session (I remember a few of those in the weeks leading up to the Scandinavian show!)

Every co-worker who has thought to themselves “When December’s over, will Haley finally stop talking about the Shakers?” My parents, who regularly let me disappear for a whole holiday season. I love you!

Is there anything else you would like others to know about Revels?

Read The Magic Maker, Susan Cooper’s biography of Revels founder Jack Langstaff! We are carrying on Jack’s legacy, and Cooper’s book really made me understand just how cool that is.

Do you have any interesting Revels-related factoids?

I don’t have a driver’s license, so I’m happy to live, work and Revel in a city with robust public transit. I was still in college, outside of Boston, at the time of my first audition for the Revels chorus in the spring of 2015. I took four different modes of public transportation to get there!

What do you do when you’re not volunteering with Revels?

I work for an adventure tour operator, designing air itineraries for folks who have a passion for world travel.

Ever-hungry for music and community, I’m also a member of the Waltham-based repertory theater group In Good Company (www.ingoodcompanytheater.org).

When and how did you first get involved with Revels?

In the early 80’s I got into English Country Dancing. I was dating a teacher who had a student in the Christmas show chorus and we got front row tickets.  In the show there were some familiar faces from the weekly English dance including Helene Cornelius, Jacqueline Schwab, Chris Walker and some other Pinewoods Morris Men.  Then I became a regular Christmas Revels attendee.

How did you first volunteer with Revels?

I am not exactly sure how I started as a volunteer. I was an active volunteer in both NEFFA and CDS (Country Dance Society), Boston Centre.  Nancy Hanssen was the volunteer coordinator for Revels and also active in NEFFA.  We both lived in Framingham and got to be friends. Nancy recruited me to help Revels.  I believe my first assignment was doing parking at a Spring Revels in Lincoln. I still have the green cap that I wore!  Later, I had the good fortune to take an early retirement and was happy to become part of the volunteer steering committee.

Shortly after, Nancy approached me to supervise the volunteers at the ‘Books and Records’ booth during the Christmas show. That went from 1992 to 2002.  After every show I would count the money and then send a Fax to the office with the tally. Somehow the revenue was up, the office was happy and as a reward I had the opportunity to go backstage and to watch many shows evolve and learn some theater. Jack (Revels Founder John Langstaff) would come in and always ask me if I had seen the show.

The booth I inherited was cumbersome to move and store.  I devised the current design but made the mistake of painting the superstructure a color similar to the stage props. It was soon discarded.  I then rebuilt it and painted it bright red. That incarnation has lasted over 25 years.

Are there any particular incidents with Revels that made an impact on you?

I would make the bank deposit from the Records booth at my bank in Framingham. One time, the bank teller gave me a funny look. She was a regular Christmas Revels attendee and did not expect to find anyone from that far west who would be involved with the Revels.  Also, one night, an older woman came to the table in a panic and insisted to see Jack who was in the show that year. She had forgotten her tickets.  I solved that one.

What other activities have you done with Revels? 

Over the years I have done a lot baking and cooking for the Revels, wassail parties, cast parties, Spring Sing, and cast suppers during the show. I have helped at mailings and making props. Do you remember the orange flowers for the 1994 MesoAmerican Revels? There was the egg at the beginning of the 1993 Northland/Scandanavian Christmas Revels. Even though the backstage area is a nut free zone I supply nut coated rugelach during Hanukkah to Jonathan in the Sanders office (shhh – don’t tell!). There were a couple dirty jobs. I helped relocate the warehouse from Cambridge to its current location.  In 2000, for The Mysteries at the Cyclorama in Boston, I led the assembly of the heavy Hadden Hall structure and then hung the very dirty rugs which many thought were real tapestries.

Currently, I live in Brookline and ride in on the bus to Harvard Square. I prefer to help on many of the two show days and do a stint at the sales table, security, and supply some desserts for the cast meal.

What do you do when you are not volunteering with Revels?  Do you volunteer with any other organizations?

When not at the Revels, there is my condo and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLIE) Program at UMASS Boston. I have been a docent for Boston by Foot and have helped to revise three tours. I recently became a docent for the Vilna Shul synagogue in Boston and am now researching material for a Jewish tour of the West End.

2007 Christmas Revels Crew – and we all look exactly the same…

When did you first get involved with Revels?

I first became an audience member in 2011 and have attended every Christmas Revels Performance from 2011 onward. I became a volunteer in January 2019.

What other activities have you done with Revels?   

My background is in Library and Information Science. I find it fascinating how people use data and how the format of data can determine what specific software and/or tools they use. I love data entry and have helped Revels with lots of data entry as well as usher performances, gather tickets, file music and many other tasks.

What do you like about being involved with Revels?

I love Revels people. They are creative, artsy and passionate about life.

Are there any particular events with Revels that made an impact on you?

I had the opportunity to participate in the tea event with Ruth Heespelink and had a great time.

Does anyone in your life play a role in supporting your involvement?

My mom ingrained in us that arts and culture are very important in life and give you the opportunity to learn and explore. I love to travel and explore different cultures, eat different cuisine, etc. What do you do when you are not volunteering with Revels?   

I am a professional librarian and work as an Operations Specialist at Harvard University in the Harvard Depository on the Countway Library Project. In this role, I review book plates, stamps, fonts and any marks that may indicate ownership in library holdings to create a complete catalogue of library holdings. Items in review include academic articles, journals, newspapers, tomes, digital recordings to name a few. The oldest holding I have reviewed dated to 1602!  In addition to my love of books and libraries and archives, I love being outdoors, going fishing. A fun fact about me is that I own and have restored a 1975 Triumph TR 6. I really enjoy working on it!

When did you first get involved with Revels?     

I’ve been in the Boston area since the early 80s, and my wife Cary and I began attending Christmas Revels performances in the 90s when our kids were young. We were active in the Scottish dance community and many of the Revels dancers and chorus singers were familiar faces. But it wasn’t until perhaps 2002, when my oldest was in middle school and a Morris Dancer, that I made the connection. That December, the Morris Dancing dried up and all the kids vanished – it turned out they were spending every waking moment in Sanders Theatre!  And I realized, this might be something I could do.

In 2009 the kids were old enough that I could consider auditioning for the Christmas show, and to my great delight I was cast.  There was of course no preparation for the months of rehearsal, the wealth of songs and dances crammed into my head, and the exhaustion of December spent in the theater.  When the show closed, the Music Director George Emlen asked us to write to him of our experiences and I occasionally still return to this letter as a reminder.

What other activities have you done with Revels?

Since that year, I’ve done half a dozen more Christmas shows, sung with Revels Singers and in Riversing, and made a number of recordings. Every event, every year, is different, yet consistent threads run through them. New faces join and the Revels family grows; we miss those who move on, particularly our stage children, who may return a generation later with children of their own.

I’ve also been honored to serve on the Board of Directors. It was of course fun to see behind the scenes and be part of the decision process, but it was more an ability to give back, to help carry Revels into the years ahead. It was a busy period; we closed Revels Repertory Company, changed Executive Directors, and saw the retirement of George Emlen. But George is back, and Revels Rep lives on as In Good Company.

What do you like about being involved with Revels?

We talk a lot about community within Revels and it’s all true. The work put in volunteering, in the Christmas show and otherwise, comes back manyfold in the warmth of community and lasting friendships made. I’ve met people from all over the world, and helped interpret unfamiliar cultural traditions. And the opportunity to sing has been magical. One memorable moment was an impromptu song in the parking garage late one evening after performing, our voices reverberating through the empty space.

What is it like being a volunteer with Revels?

As for the experience of volunteering, it has meant a number of things. First, it’s been an opportunity to participate in the music and dance that I love, at times for myself, and at times in the background, helping make the opportunity possible for others. And it maintains my involvement for the years I’m not onstage at Christmas, sustaining the sense of community that is really the reason I’m here. Second, an organization like Revels just takes a lot of work to run. There are phone calls to be made, envelopes to stuff, banners to hang. Volunteers are essential. And finally, and perhaps most importantly, Revels is good people. The values of cooperation, of trust and appreciation, are values I aspire to. Revels supports its volunteers, its entire company, well and I’ve felt welcomed and appreciated from the start. We take this for granted and we shouldn’t.

What do you do when you are not volunteering with Revels?

Back in the “real world” I work as a consulting engineer, designing audio-visual systems. Cary and I are still active in the dance communities, mostly English at this point, though during these pandemic times that’s mostly meant supporting dance musicians. And I’ve got a couple of other volunteering roles, chairman of the cable access committee in the town of Harvard where we live, and also the treasurer of Great Meadows Morris & Sword, a high-school sword team in Sudbury. And I’m on the building committee for a new elementary school going up in Harvard.

Nick with his 2016 Christmas Revels “stage family”

When did you first get involved with Revels?

We have been in the audience since 1979, returning to Boston from the south. My Mother was a music teacher (Belmont Day School; Advent School) and knew John Langstaff, so she got the word to us. We were so impressed with the Revels Chorus that we didn’t dare to audition until our son Alex was in the 2008 (Thomas Hardy) show and told us to try out.

What other activities have you done with Revels?

Christmas shows 2010-11: both of us, 2017: Ross, RiverSing, Revels Singers, Spring Sing, Perkins programs, preparing sets and props for Christmas shows, harbor cruises, URP groups, attending galas and fundraisers, wearing ridiculous but eye-catching hats to sell raffle tickets at Sanders, folding envelopes at the office, set-up volunteering at cast parties and Spring Sing

What do you like about being involved with Revels?

I view it as a cause, and a very worthy one, with wonderful friends to work with (and for).

Of what contribution or achievement are you most proud?

Singing in the Adult Chorus and ringing a handbell on stage. Oh, yes, and being the Abbotts Bromley man-woman in the 2017 Acadia show!

Are there any particular incidents or events with Revels that really moved you or made an impact on you?

Having my Perkins student check out the bass viol in the ensemble one year. Trying not to choke up during the Sussex Mummers’ Carol thinking of my Mom and how proud she would have been to see me on that stage.

Does anyone in your life play a role in supporting your involvement? In providing inspiration?

My wife, Bonnie, of course, and Alex, the Welsh dragon guy. Also, the groups of youngsters dancing in the Christmas shows — just a joy to watch.

Is there anything else you would like others to know about Revels and/or what is it like being a volunteer with Revels?

It’s a precious chance to help make things happen that are marvelous, fulfilling, and in rather short supply. We need what Revels is!

Do you have any interesting Revels related “factoids”?

I think of all the wolf-whistles and catcalls I endured during a fire alarm evacuation at intermission in the 2017 show, when I had already changed into the man-woman costume.

What do you do (work, hobbies) when you are not volunteering with Revels? Do you volunteer with any other organizations?

I volunteer with the Harwich Conservation Trust. I also built a model railroad (HO) in “my” half of our garage — laying ties, spiking rails, designing operating schedules. Wonderful way to stay out of trouble. That, choir, and the motorcycle, among other things.

It’s the people (plus the music and culture!) that keeps this Lexington librarian connected to Revels!

How did you first get involved with Revels?  

My first Revels experience was as an audience member at the Northlands show in the early 90s, after recently moving to Boston from Charlotte, North Carolina.  I cannot remember how I discovered Revels originally, but I knew of John Langstaff all my life.  My grandmother was a children’s librarian and then a children’s bookstore owner.  Jack’s CDs and books were among the very first titles they stocked when the store opened.  I still have my childhood copies of Froggie Went a Courtin’ and Over in the Meadow and, thanks to Ruth Heespelink [longtime Reveler, volunteer, and fellow librarian], they have been autographed by Jack!

What other activities have you done with Revels?  

I have volunteered with product sales, mailing parties and more recently on harbor cruises.  I loved being a part of the Revels Salons too.  I also helped at many events like a Wassail party, Spring Sing, Revels FRINGE concerts, the party at the Scandinavian center, George’s retirement party at WGBH (where my decorative skills were put to the test) and David’s CD release party.  I made some Scottish cookies for one show, but to this day I have no idea if they were a success or better used as hurling sliotars!  I helped with Summer Revels at Decordova early on, including one summer when Jen and Alan were not sure if I was helping or requiring help when I was too pregnant to sit on the hillside but did it anyway.  More recently I started helping with RiverSing.

What do you like about being involved with Revels?

I’ve always loved the people of Revels. There is a feeling of family and camaraderie that extends beyond “cast” and “crew.” It is wonderful seeing new families become part of the wider Revels family and continue to breathe life into this organization because that gives me hope for many more years of joyful merriment to come.

Are there any particular incidents or events with Revels that really moved you or made an impact on you?

I met Ruth Heesplink soon after I discovered Revels and her early support of my growth as a librarian as well as her welcoming smiles whenever I see her at Revels events form a long line of happy memories.

Also, I was thrilled that my parents were able to come to Boston one year to attend a Christmas Revels and that they were able to see a Summer Revels performance too.  Every year I would bring home the program from the show and my dad would spend the Christmas holidays enjoying the latest CD and reading all the program notes.

What do you do when you are not volunteering with Revels?

I began my career as a children’s librarian at the Boston Public Library in 1991 and have worked also at the Wellesley Free Library and Cary Memorial Library. In 1998 I started working at Cary one Sunday a month in the Children’s Department and have since moved through various positions to become the Head of Reference and Adult Services. It was so exciting to me to join Revels and Cary Library, bringing the Revels Singers to raise the rafters in the library’s renovated Living Room area.  I’m still hoping to find more opportunities for the library to highlight Revels in our community, when we are able to gather in person once again.

I also love to read, knit, travel, walk and listen to music.  I went to Nashville for a conference in February, and while that seems like a long time ago, what a fun musical week that was!  I’ve been on two walking holidays in the Lake District and am longing to get back to England to visit friends and share more adventures with them.  On my last visit I achieved one of my dreams – visiting Lucy Boston’s house near Cambridge.  She wrote the Children of Green Knowe, among others, and what a fascinating tour that was.

Do you volunteer with any other organizations?

Since COVID-19, I have been making and donating masks and I also created a driveway version of a “Little Free Library.”  Before that, I regularly ushered at Cary Hall for Spectacle Management and loved having the opportunity to experience the musical magic they bring to Lexington.  I also belong to the Needle Arts Guild of LexArt and was a member of the Junior League of Boston for many years.  My work at the library keeps me very busy, as did raising two children.  However through all that I always found moments to participate with Revels and have been thrilled that Revels embraced the opportunities I was able to offer!

Cathie at her Little Free Library

Volunteer Mari Young loves the intergenerational community of Revels. And she helps make Revels happen, by supervising cast kids…and sorting hundreds of t-shirts!!

When and how did you first get involved with Revels? 

I started out seeing Revels in the 90’s as an audience member. I helped out a bit when my older son first attended the summer theatre camp in 2009, but my first official time volunteering was in 2013, when my son was a part of the children’s cast.

What other activities have you done with Revels? 

I have volunteered behind the scenes at Christmas Revels, run the Children’s dressing room and coordinated cast shirts for the Christmas shows. I have also helped with the Summer Theatre programs, volunteered at multiple 12th night and RiverSings, as well as helping with behind the scenes preparations for some of the school programs.

What do you like about being involved with Revels? 

I love the sense of community. I enjoy that Revels is aimed at all ages. I love being part of something where it is completely normal to see 8 year olds and 80 year olds interacting! It makes me happy to see generations of families all participating together and all getting something meaningful out of it.

Of what contribution or achievement are you most proud? 

I’m not exactly sure what makes me MOST proud. On a personal level, and as cheesy as this sounds, I love that I have brought Revels to my three children and that they have chosen to make it such a big part of their lives. On a more professional level, every year when processing hundreds of pieces of apparel for the cast, of multiple different types and sizes, when the numbers all work out, I do a big cheer. This maybe isn’t the thing I’m most proud of, but it always makes me unbelievably happy.

Are there any particular incidents or events with Revels that really moved you or made an impact on you?

Seeing my daughter shine on stage and behind the scenes at Revels brings joy to my heart more than anything, but truly, every event makes an impact. I cry every year at Revels – at the Christmas shows, Twelfth Night, RiverSing, the end of a summer program, even at pub sings. Partly, it’s because I’m a sap and partly it’s just being awed by the wonderful and talented people I am lucky enough to surround myself with. I really try to appreciate and take a little bit of each event to hold with me.

Does anyone in your life play a role in supporting your involvement? In providing inspiration? 

My entire family supports my involvement in Revels. I have been fortunate enough to have one of my kids involved in many of the events I volunteer at, so we get to spend some extra quality time together. Most of the year, Revels isn’t too intense, but December can be tough. I leave them for the month to be at the theater. Every year my poor husband is a Revels-widower!

Do you volunteer with any other organizations? 

I have volunteered for many things over the years, but the organization I have been the most dedicated to is NEFFA. I have been on the board of the New England Folk Festival for over 20 years.

What do you do when you are not volunteering with Revels? 

In my day to day life, I am a disability awareness educator working with mostly 3rd-5th graders, teaching them about physical, sensory and developmental disabilities. I help them to have understanding, respect, and to include people of all abilities. For fun, I love to folk dance, sing (especially Bulgarian and Croatian music), play games, and do crafty things.

Oh those shirts! From left to right: 2017 Venetian, 2016 Acadian, 2015 Welsh. The cast thanks you!

Revels has been extremely fortunate to have the friendship and support of Julie Smith for over 30 years.  If you came into the Revels office earlier this year, you may have found Julie helping the staff with various projects.  Having a chat with her, you would surely notice her sweet and gentle nature.  But Julie has also had her lively times with Revels!

In her youth, Julie was a serious folk dancer and belonged to a hotshot square dancing group. In the 1950’s, Julie began Scottish and English folk dancing and she went to Pinewoods and Early Music Weeks. She met John Langstaff somewhere along the way. When Jack put on the first Christmas Revels in Cambridge in 1971, Julie was in the audience. Julie and her family loved Revels and her son Duncan was a dancer in the 1978 Haddon Hall Christmas Revels.

After attending The Christmas Revels for many years, Julie felt like there weren’t enough older women in the cast. So, at the “older” age of 60, Julie auditioned for the show with Jack and George Emlen, Revels’ former music director.  Being in that show provided Julie with her favorite Revels memory. Julie’s costume was a gorgeous green silk ball gown which she wore as she danced Victorian parlor dances with Ron Smedley, a lead in the show. Julie was so happy when she was allowed to borrow the gown and wear it to the Scottish Ball.  After this wonderful experience, Julie was again in The Christmas Revels cast of the Celtic show in 1992, the 1998 Victorian Christmas Revels and an Irish-themed summer show at the DeCordova Museum.

In the early 1990’s, Julie began volunteering in the Revels office to help with the Christmas ticket sales, back when tickets were sold out of the office. She stayed on and continued to volunteer regularly in the office as a way to keep up the connection with Revels that she had felt as a cast member.

In addition to her work with Revels, Julie volunteered at Christ Church Cambridge, where she has been a parishioner for about 50 years. She has traveled the world, met the Dalai Lama and practiced yoga regularly (and inspired her yoga teacher, Linda Martin, to volunteer with Revels too!).

Julie says that one of Revels strengths is its sense of community. She has felt such a strong sense of connection; it even feels like a family. Julie points out that everyone wants to feel like they belong. The Revels community has been, and continues to be, an important connection in her life.  And Revels is the better for it.  Happy Birthday, Julie!

John Recroft has been involved with and helped Revels in many ways over the past twelve years. Which is particularly impressive since he is only seventeen years old!  Revels has been fortunate to benefit from this young man’s positive energy and many skills and talents. And for John, volunteering with the Revels has been a life changing experience.  John says it has “opened my life to all kinds of music, dance, and other cultural phenomena that I would’ve had no idea about. It has also introduced me to most of the best friends I have now!”

John’s first experience with Revels was the Revels Homeschool program, which he attended from age five until he was fifteen. He continued with Revels, joining the childrens’ choruses for several Spring Sings and RiverSings. Since 2013, John has been involved with The Christmas Revels both on stage (in the chorus, acting as a Swiss Guard, and as a sword dancer), and backstage (as a member of the Revels Apprentice Program (RAP), running crew, and as a props handler. Most recently, John helped Revels by editing 68 individual chorus member’s videos together in just 48 hours to create an incredibly beautiful video of the May Day Carol 2020.

John is grateful for the wide-ranging opportunities Revels has given him and is very proud to be able to work for a large-scale production like The Christmas Revels. He has also had the chance to work side by side with his mom, Susan Only, as she has been the In-Theater Volunteer Coordinator and Backstage Manager for The Christmas Revels for the past few years. John (and Revels!) really appreciate Susan’s support and help over the years!

In addition to Revels, John also regularly volunteers with Cradles to Crayons and in the summers he volunteers at Community Boating Incorporated as an instructor in training.  Like Revels, these organizations are extremely fortunate to have an amazing volunteer like John.  Thank you John for all the ways you help Revels.  We’re so glad you’re part of our family!

Looks like we wore him out!