A portrait of Christmas Revels founder John Langstaff reveals influences that shaped the creation of his popular annual celebration, from his mischievous choirboy experiences and early career as a recital singer to his World War II injury and subsequent work as a recording artist, television performer, teacher and childrens author. By the Newbery Medal-winning author of The Grey King. Simultaneous. On Christmas Eve, 1920, John Meredith Langstaff was born into a music-filled home where a rousing carol party was the peak of his familys year. Half a century later, his inspired Christmas Revels was born, a theatrical weaving of diverse traditional song, folk dance, and drama that has become a beloved institution across the country. Now award-winning author Susan Cooper, a longtime writer for the Revels, traces its roots through the rhythms of Jack Langstaffs lifefrom his days as a star choirboy to his early career as a noted recital singer; from a daunting World War II injury to his work as recording artist, TV performer, teacher, and childrens author. Along the way, his passion for music, ritual, and community fused to spark the incomparable Revels, a participatory celebration that promises to draw children of all ages for even more generations to come.
