Bedecked in hoop skirts, top hats and bonnets, the Wisconsin Dickens Carolers spread holiday cheer. “There’s something really lovely and transcendent about seeing four people singing in four-part harmony,” says Kirstin Roble, mezzo-soprano and artistic coordinator. The group of about 20 musicians travels the state singing classics such as “Silent Night” and new favorites like “Let It Go.” All of the carolers are classically trained. “We bring singers who have training and know-how to create the dynamics and the nuances because we really want to create something special for people,” Roble says. Catch the carolers at Milwaukee County Zoo’s Wild Lights series this month. Members of the public can book the group for events through ACA Entertainment.
It’s time to pick your Milwaukee favorites for the year!
Milwaukee Magazine: How did the Wisconsin Dickens Carolers get started?
Kirstin Roble: We were approached in 2017 by ACA Entertainment, and we were actually recommended through another group that I ran and still currently run called Opera On Tap Wisconsin. Opera On Tap Wisconsin does monthly concerts at various restaurants and bars around the Milwaukee and Madison areas. Basically, ACA Entertainment was looking for a Victorian caroling group for a series of events in Illinois, and we were recommended by other professionals in the area who were not able to fill it with their ensembles, but recommended us and said, ‘Hey, they might have a quartet that could come together with costumes and do these gigs.’
So, I was intrigued. I reached out to a colleague of mine, Nancy Storrs, who is involved with the West Bend Theatre Company. They run an annual production of A Christmas Carol, it’s a beautiful production of the show. I said, ‘Hey, I’ve gotten this gig offer. Do you have some costumes we could rent or use on loan?’ And Nancy says, ‘Sure, I’ve got some extras.’
And we took the bookings for ACA Entertainment, and we rented some costumes from Nancy, and one gig with ACA led to another, which led to another, and we started picking up some private bookings. It just sort of spiraled from there.
MM: What are some of the songs in your repertoire?
KR: We sing everything from “Jingle Bells” to “O Holy Night” to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” to “Let It Go” from Frozen. It really depends on the audience we have. If you look at our full repertoire list, we have just under 70 pieces.
MM: Why do you think people are so drawn to Dickens carolers?
KR: It kind of helps you forget about the stressfulness of the holidays, even just for a few minutes. And there’s obviously a novelty of the Dickens carolers look, which I think is a lot of fun too. But I think what makes it special is what we bring to the table. All of our singers are trained classical musicians who have worked in ensembles, who have worked solo. They’re singing around Milwaukee, Madison and a number of them are singing in Chicago … And we want to provide even just two or three minutes, a moment of respite, for people who are going through the chaos of the holiday season and might be dealing with stuff that’s not putting them in the most cheerful of holiday moods, because I know we’ve all been there. Whether it’s bills or family stress or worries about what you’re seeing on the news or COVID, there are a lot of scary things. So the Dickens Carolers seek to provide something that takes us away from that, even for just a few minutes.
