A Hardy, jolly "Christmas''

Trombonist Bruce Randall joins the Mellstock Band for a tune in ''The Christmas Revels,'' which focuses on English holiday traditions. (ROGER IDE)

CAMBRIDGE - The simple joy of gathering together to sing, eat, and be entertained during winter's darkest days inspires the beloved holiday celebration "The Christmas Revels." This year's 38th annual event at Sanders Theatre returns to the organization's roots in English holiday traditions, with a collection of songs and stories familiar to 19th-century novelist and poet Thomas Hardy.

Artistic director Patrick Swanson weaves together characters from Hardy's novel "Under the Greenwood Tree" with songs from the period and a version of "The Play of St. George," which appeared in Hardy's novel "The Return of the Native." Performances by the Pinewoods Morris Men, the Cambridge Symphonic Brass Ensemble, clog dancer Gillian Stewart, the Casterbridge Children, and an adult chorus are part of a balanced program that moves quickly and never drags. Unlike other years, in which the effort to embrace other traditions while hanging on to audience favorites made for a jumbled collection of sketches, this year's theme is straightforward and focused.

The featured performers in "The Christmas Revels" are the Mellstock Band, a quartet of English folk musicians who take their name from the singers and musicians in Hardy's fictional village. They play a wonderfully eclectic collection of early music instruments, including the haunting "serpent," a snake-like device that is an ancestor of the tuba. With occasional backup from the brass ensemble or "Revels" veteran David Coffin's selection of penny whistles and recorders, the sound is vibrant and insistent, seeming to chase away the darkness and cold by sheer willpower. The Mellstock Band also joins a "Village Quire" to create some strong a cappella harmonies. Another vocal standout is Mary Casey, who plays the character of the music teacher in the village and whose clear, light soprano adds beauty and clarity to the music.

Nothing gets in the way of the traditional carols or the classic "Revels" favorites, especially the "Abbots Bromley Horn Dance," an eerie, magical dance designed to bring good luck for the hunt, accompanied by Coffin on the recorder. And the "St. George" play is very affecting, perhaps because of the mischievous performance of Tim Sawyer as Father Christmas and comic favorite Richard Snee as the mad-hatter-like doctor.

It wouldn't be the "Revels" if there weren't sing-alongs for the audience. Sanders Theatre, with its beautifully curved wooden interior, invites participation, and no one in the matinee performance I saw was immune to song leader Coffin's encouragement. At one point, when he suggested the audience try harmonizing, he asked if anyone remembered his definition of harmony. Without pause, more than one person shouted, "What the person next to you is not singing." Somehow, no matter what the singing talents of the people in the crowd were, for the few minutes the audience sang together with the performers, the sound was glorious. This show's ability to bring people together in that simple way is what makes it a perfect holiday treat.