Emmanuel PROGRAM NOTES On that first Christmas morning the ancient prayers for a Deliverer were answered, the pronouncements from the prophets were fulfilled, and history was divided in two. On that first Christmas morning, in the first light of that new day, while angel s announcements still echoed and the sound of shepherds rejoicing in the streets of Bethlehem could still be heard, the world was changed forever. On that first Christmas morning the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us. God initiated all that occurred and made the commonplace miraculous. On that first Christmas morning a PROMISE was fulfilled, a SON was given, a CHILD was born and HOPE was delivered to us in a stable, the first born of a virgin. This musical is a statement of faith it is a reminder of things eternal it is a celebration of the coming of God s only Son, Jesus the Christ. It s Christmas! We invite you to come. Join the festivities as we proclaim the glad tidings of great joy! Hope is not lost. Hope is not out of reach. Hope is not gone. HOPE IS BORN EMMANUEL! HOPE is BORN
O Come, O Come Emmanuel Opening This timeless song is a great example of a multiple paradox. It is a lamentation of the things that are, a proclamation of thanksgiving for things unseen, and a prayer of hope for what will be. This song is both haunting and hopeful and the scriptures selected for this opening are a reflection of this. The idea of weaving spoken prophesy into this melody captivated our imaginations. What better way to introduce His coming than by giving voice to these ancient words while the excitement and longing builds musically. It would be particularly effective to have the narrators memorize this opening section. The phrases are short and once the timing is down, the effect it has and the connection it creates with the congregation will be well worth it. The promises become manifest on a quiet night in the distant past... Glory to God... in the hills just outside the ancient city of David, Bethlehem. The prelude to the Incarnation was presented by angels. This was not a chorus sweetly singing over the plain - this was a mighty host of angels announcing the birth of Jesus, the Christ. We saw them as fearsome messengers fresh from the throne room and we wanted the score to reflect that image! Therefore, we chose to interpret this vision with GLORY TO GOD, from Messiah. Although the track is contemporary, we tried to stay true to the choral adaptation with the exception of a few voice leadings and interval changes. If you have not had the opportunity to sing this great music, you will be surprised at how accessible and easily learned it is. A timeless classic - enjoy!! As the celebration grows in intensity... Gloria! He is Born... the shepherds awake to a dream fulfilled but disguised momentarily as a nightmare! The energy of this song, combined with the four soloists and powerful track bring this joyous announcement to life. The shepherds become witness to an otherworldly spectacular. They follow the angel s instruction to go to Bethlehem to see what this celebration is all about. Now, it s time to do more than just observe...
Angels, from the Realms of Glory... it s time to participate! This is the perfect worship carol. It is both proclamation and invitation, corporate praise and individual worship, traditional and contemporary. Come and worship Christ, the newborn King! Following the angel s directive we arrive at the stable... Mary s Hope... and behold an amazing sight. A baby, a manger, a mother, a father... not so miraculous you say? Look again. See an ordinary family transformed by a miraculous God. We enter the holy of holies stepping on straw! Maybe there was a catch in the shepherd s throats as they beheld this young mother cradling this special Baby. Maybe this moment was frozen in the minds of these unlikely participants for the rest of their lives. Scripture does tell us that Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. This song captures all the poignant tenderness that was that moment. Mary, the frightened, courageous, hopeful mother of God s Son surely sensed at least a portion of that Child s singular destiny. Ultimately, her longings for her Child and her knowledge of God s purpose fused and to her everlasting credit that brave girl rested in her Father s love. This song is the one that most clearly articulates the title of this musical Hope is Born Emmanuel! If you are planning to stage a nativity and you have a young girl who is suitable for the role of Mary and can sing as well, then the double bonus for you is, what a moment you ll have when she sings Mary s Hope! It is this Hope... Hope Is Born...this Blessed Hope that we now celebrate. It has become almost tradition for us to take a familiar Christmas carol, write a new text, and create a joyous and sometimes whimsical new offering. Oh, what fun we had with the carol, Good King Wenceslaus. As is our custom, be prepared for lots of words. It s well worth the effort! This is going to be one exciting and enjoyable moment in the musical! Now, we move from whimsy...
In the First Light... to wonder in the form of this tremendous lyric and melody. We were captivated by the majesty of the text that tells the story of the Master s birth, life, death and resurrection in such epic fashion. This song captures the, so what does this mean to me moment of the musical by reminding us that Jesus was more than a Baby in a manger. This Jesus was our Savior hung on a cross. He is the one the angels confirmed to the disciples in Acts 1:11 when they said, This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into Heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into Heaven. Following this stirring anthem, it is appropriate to enter into a season of praise... God Incarnate Child Divine... and worship. We selected the melody of the carol, See Amid the Winter s Snow, as the musical foundation to this new hymn lyric. This is the telling of the majesty and glory of the Incarnation. The familiarity and solemnity of the music provides an appropriate setting to the lyrics. This song leads us to... Silent Night, Holy Night... one of the most beloved and utilized Christmas carols of all time. This song offers another moment for corporate worship and an opportunity to invite the congregation to participate. A candle lighting ceremony has a way of sealing the moment in the hearts of the people. In order to maintain a worshipful atmosphere, we suggest that the candles already be in place. This will keep disruption to a minimum. If you are using a worship folder for the service, you could also include in it any further instruction you may have. From the quiet calm of this moment...
Procession of the Invited... we move to the closing processional. This is the culmination that highlights the inclusiveness of the gospel message. While it may seem unusual to place a processional at the close of a work, this is an invitation to come to the place where ALL are invited. Come to the manger where God s mercy is now manifested! We envision this starting as a simple march toward the manger with a few people and then growing in joy and excitement as more and more join randomly from all areas. The stately nature of this song makes it appropriate to bring in banners, dancers, cast members (if you are using drama), some members of the congregation and finally the Magi. The arrival of the kings completes the processional and at that point everyone bows as the closing chorus of O HOLY NIGHT begins. This is a good place to invite the congregation to join the choir in making the final statement of wonder and praise! Our Hope, our focus and our prayer in presenting this musical is that you too will take your place in this processional of the invited. Do you see Him now - The Son of Man? He looks like you and me.