Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: http://read.jwpepper.com/i/517941
Performance Notes Many church music directors choose to put their own Christmas programs together rather than use a published cantata. 0ey do this because they want the freedom to assemble a meaningful concert that is tailored to their own abilities, needs and tastes. I'll confess that even I have taken this route several times. "What Child Is 0is?" is a cantata for just such music directors. My intention was simply to assemble an exciting choral experience. You won't find a systematic telling of the Christ- mas story with the events unfolding in order. What you will find is a work that answers the question "What Child Is 0is?" with music that inspires, thrills, informs and entertains lis- teners with both original and familiar material. 0e pieces can stand alone as individual anthems, to be used in any order, or combined with other choral material of your choosing. 0e narration that precedes each piece is also optional for those who are looking for more of a concert experience. Christmas is a joyous season and I tried to infuse this work with as much joy as I could. But it also has all the requisite warmth our congregations crave at Christmas time. Each piece is a colorful, bold statement and I think choirs will especially enjoy preparing the wide variation of styles. If the narration is used, the following should be considered: 0e Prologue could be done with any number of speakers, perhaps even from the choir, and should be delivered with urgency and excitement, with each speaker practically interrupting the previous speaker. 0e Prologue, if done without narration, serves as a prelude to the first number, and would end at measure 29. 0e Advent narration should be done by two voices, one making the statements, and the other reading the scripture. Each of the remaining narrations should be delivered by a single voice, although a different voice could be used for each if desired. Ed Hogan has written a wonderful mini-orchestration for this work, keeping the typical church orchestra in mind. I love Ed's work for many reasons, but especially because he pays close attention to the text, and understands how to use the orchestra to bring it to life. If you've read this far, that means you're probably interested, and I thank you for that. I hope this work will serve you well as you prepare music for another Christmas season. – Joel Raney PerfNotes_HopeChoralTemplate 2/24/15 8:44 PM Page 1 For Preview Only