Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/1377049
98 There are prophecies about names to be given to God, and the place he would be born. Two prophecies from the Old Testament: Isaiah 7:14 NIV Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 9:6 NIV For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Now let's look at the New Testament to see what happened and how the prophecies came true! Matthew 1:18- NIV This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they shall call him Immanuel" (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him. Music Technique Teaching Tips Encourage your choir at every opportunity to sing beautifully! In the various styles of the arrangements in this musical, they will have a chance to sound pop, high energy, lyrical and worshipful. All good singing starts with good breathing and good vocal technique. Begin each rehearsal with a short warm-up that includes some of these concepts and techniques. • A REMINDER ABOUT GOOD POSTURE – BACK STRAIGHT, SHOULDERS RELAXED, CHEST HIGH. USE THE IMAGERY OF FEELING LIKE YOU ARE A MARIONETTE WITH SOMEONE PULLING UP ON THE STRING THAT COMES FROM THE TOP OF YEAR HEAD. • A breathing exercise, such as this: take a deep breath and sing the alphabet on one pitch as many times as you can before you run out of breath. Encourage the singers to "squeeze" with their abs when they start to run out of air.