Out Under the Sky
is a unique way to inspire the spirit of the season
for your community group
or friends and family as a house concert.
is a unique way to inspire the spirit of the season
for your community group
or friends and family as a house concert.
Make a memorable celebration of the season with this unique musical program.
The idea for Out Under the Sky developed while performing regularly for the city of Charleston, South Carolina's Christmas on King Street celebrations. Urged by audience members to record an album of carols, the chronological presentation and narrative structure unfolded organically while planning and recording the eventual album. The concert presentation was a natural extension of the album concept and came together while promoting the original CD.
Out Under the Sky is a solo, acoustic concert program that has been performed across the US and featured on NPR's Here and Now. Critically acclaimed for her pure singing voice and masterful finger-style guitar accompaniment, Suzanne McDermott presents her own arrangements of ancient and traditional carols. Throughout the performance, Suzanne talks about sources and historic context of each carol, symbolism of the lyrics and how popular culture and sacred doctrine were combined in the song form.
Carefully selected and ordered, each carol tells a particular part of the Christmas story, from biblical prophecy, through the Annunciation to the birth of the Christ Child. The carols are also presented chronologically and provide a glimpse at the history of Western music and religion. While a lot of thought, practice and study went into the creation of this program, Suzanne's presentation is authentic, delightful and down to earth.
No matter what faith you follow, this unique and beautiful musical program on the origin and development of the Christmas Carol is guaranteed to fascinate and fill you with the true holiday spirit.
Suzanne McDermott has been performing her Out Under the Sky since 1999 across the U.S. in concert halls, schools, historical societies, museums, churches, senior residences, bookstores, for private parties and throughout the Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Illinois, Virginia, South Carolina and Florida library systems.
Ages 10 and up
for Schools
Out Under the Sky is a great program for elementary, middle and high school students. English teachers can explore a lesson plan designed around adaptation, metaphor, or changing vernacular usage. Lesson plans for history teachers might include changing tools and perspectives of historical research and interpretation, the idea of historical revival, or oral history. Music teachers can analyze the form of one of the carols to be performed or learn about and listen to musical examples from a relevant period.
An interdisciplinary lesson plan shared by English, History and Music teachers can focus on the motivation behind, tradition and importance of collecting Folk Songs.
