Carol speaks to the human spirit

Christmas is all about hearth, home and cherishing special moments with family and friends.

Although A Christmas Carol carries a chilly, haunting vibe, the St. Albert Singers Guild is presenting a warm and fuzzy version at the Arden Theatre, running Dec. 11 and 12.

Musical director Criselda Mierau has borrowed the text straight out of Charles Dickens' tale of the skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge who is mentally and ethically transformed after four spirits visit him on Christmas Eve.

The guild's two choirs — the 54-piece adult mixed choir and the 34-member women's ensemble — tie the text together with 25 songs. And Timothy Anderson, one of Edmonton's most sought after actors/writers/singers, sits by a roaring fire while reciting the redemptive tale.

“It's his third show with us and he's quite a nice fit. He's very talented and has a great sense of humour. He's very professional and always has creative ideas he brings to the table,” says Mierau.

She has also hand-picked some pretty strong local talent for the leading roles — Eric Mierau as Marley, Bruce Ramage as Bob Cratchit, Lucy Haines as Mrs. Cratchit and Leo Bruseker as Scrooge's nephew. “Scrooge is played by John Kennedy. He's a Crown prosecutor, but he's really embraced this crotchety old character.”

Unlike many adaptations that use an elegant Victorian-era style of music contrasted sharply with spooky sounds from the netherworld, this concert dabbles in a more contemporary meter with everything from old blues, rock and roll to folk-pop.

The program starts off with three traditional Yuletide salutations in Wassail to You and is followed by I Would Light a Candle, an anthem of hope sung as Mrs. Cratchit lights a candle in her small, bleak home.

And as Bob Cratchit dreams of being warm at work, the women's ensemble belts out the chart-topping Steam Heat popularized by Patti Page. The mood is set with snippets from You're A Mean One, Mr. Scrooge and the folk-pop tune Streets of London. “It's about street people and how you need to open your eyes and ears to hear them.”

In a nod to Canadian luminaries, Mierau has also included Joni Mitchell's River, a lead-in to the first ghost of Christmas Past. “There's a long intro with skaters skating on stage. It's an enchanting, nostalgic scene that brings Scrooge back to his boyhood.”

Ultimately, the choirs see this production as a pinnacle achievement.

“It's not like any other concert we've done. It's the right time, the right energy, the right passion and we see it as a gift to the community. It speaks to the basic human spirit and that's very touching.”

Tickets are $15. Call 780-418-4184.