Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: https://read.jwpepper.com/i/72013
Foreword Christmas is both universal and timeless, and these qualities are perfectly captured in our newest seasonal offering, Season of Joy. Placing the joyous celebration of Christ's birth at the center of every musical moment, this exciting new work pays homage to the passion of traditional Celtic music while simultaneously embracing a dynamic contemporary sound. Acclaimed arranger/orchestrator Daniel Semsen has produced a richly authentic collection of seasonal music that features a full complement of Irish instrumentation, from fiddles and tin whistles to uilleann pipes! The diverse roster of songs features four recent offerings from the gifted Keith and Kristyn Getty, who salute their Irish homeland in such new favorites as "Joy Has Dawned" and "By Faith." Irish classics like "The Wexford Carol" blend seamlessly with contemporary Celtic-inspired arrangements of Chris Tomlin's "Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)" and Travis Cottrell's "Jesus Saves." There are opportunities for a wide variety of solos, small ensembles, and children, in addition to magnificent choral numbers. Over ten familiar carols weave their way artfully through the work, making Season of Joy a welcoming vehicle for audience participation and celebration. Deborah Craig-Claar has created two different narrative scripts for the musical: one recreates a traditional Celtic Christmas evening celebration, and the second offers a contemporary Christmas musical of praise (both found in the back of this book). She has also provided extensive production notes and additional performance resources (found on wordmusic.com) allowing you to customize the musical to your unique presentational needs. A traditional Irish Christmas blessing says: "May you be as contented as Christmas finds you all the year round." And that is certainly our prayer for you this holiday season. We hope that this Christmas, your church and community will experience the season of joy as never before. "Nollaig Shona Dhaoibh!" (Happy Christmas to you!) WORD MUSIC Preview Copy