A Christmas Pageant

Christmas Pageant: A Choir of Angels

The Angel Gabriel:  What do you call a group of birds?

The Angel Michaela: A flock of birds.

The Angel Raphaela: There are lots of group names; a pride of lions, a herd of sheep and cattle, a gaggle of geese, or my favorite, A prickle of porcupines!

The Angel Chrysilla: We angels are always so happy we should be called a Giggle of Angels.

The Angel Oriel: But what do you really call a group of angels?

The Angel Gabriel: A group of Angels is called a Choir of Angels, so I guess to be an angel is to sing and make music together as a group.

The Angel Michaela: Music is best when it is inspired and we angels became best known as a choir when we were inspired by the greatest story ever told.

The Angel Raphaela:  Every year we get to tell the story again and we get to sing, sing, sing the great songs of Christmas.

The Angel Bella:  I bet we are really going to shock some shepherds tonight.

The Angel  Lauda :  We’ll be shock and awe for the shepherds tonight!

The Angel Mischieva:  (singing) Glo oooo  ooooo ri  a in ex cel  sis  Deo……)

The Angel Oriel:  Mischieva…Please wait until it’s time to sing.

The Angel Mischieva:  My real name is Lucia, and I sing because I love to sing.

The Angel Raphaela:  Lucia, we’re glad you practice, but let’s wait.  Do you think that we can get the children of St. John the Divine to sing and tell the story of the birth of Christ?

The Angel Gabriel:  I hope so but let’s begin the story.

The Angel Oriel: The story starts nine months ago with our famous Angel Gabriel.

The Angel Chrysilla: Gabriel sure gets all of the cool gigs!

(The Angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary enter)

The Angel Gabriel: Greetings dear Mary.  God has a special gift for you.  He is going to give you a special child.  You will name him Jesus and he will save his people, because he will be God’s own Son.

The Virgin Mary:  How can this be?  I do not understand what this means, but let it be according to God’s will.

Carol: The Angel Gabriel   Blue Hymnal # 265

  1-The angel Gabriel from heaven came, his wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;

     “All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary, most highly favored lady.”  Gloria

  2-“For know a blessed mother thou shalt be, all generations laud and honor thee.

      Thy son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold, most highly favored lady.”  Gloria

The Angel Michaela: About nine months after Gabriel delivered the message, Mary was ready to deliver her baby.  But Mary could not stay at home, because she had to make a trip to Bethlehem in Judea with Joseph.

The Angel Bella:  Ginny and the choirs…just in case your are sleeping, this is the cue for some clippity clop traveling music!

The Angel  Lauda :  You can’t say that in the middle of the performance!

The Angel Bella:  Oops!  I just did, but a least they won’t forget.

(Mary, Joseph and the donkey come down the aisle)

The Angel Raphaela:  Mary and Joseph were tired when they got to Bethlehem.  When they went to the Inn, the innkeeper told them that all of the rooms were already full.

St. John’s Pageant Choir: Knock, Knock, Knock,  by William Grime

Innkeeper: We have no more rooms, but I do have stable in the back.  You can sleep there if you want to get out of the cold weather.

The Angel Gabriel:) So Mary and Joseph went to the stable.  And on that very evening, Mary gave birth to a little boy.  She named him Jesus.  Joseph filled a manger with hay and Mary wrapped baby Jesus in a very warm blanket and she used the manger as his baby bed.

Joseph:  God has given us a wonderful baby, Mary.  I am thankful that he is safe and healthy!

The Angel Chrysilla: Now everyone join us to sing a nice lullaby to the sleeping baby Jesus.

Carol: Away in a Manger   vs. 1

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. 

The stars in the skies looked down where he lay.  The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

The Angel Michaela:  If I were writing the story, I would have had Jesus be born in a great palace for kings, but God wanted all people to know that a person does not have to be born in a palace to be important.  Just look at the cows in the stable.  Do you think that they know that Jesus is a King?

The Angel Bella:  Well animals are very important in God’s creation.  They make good pets and friends.  Why shouldn’t they be with the baby Jesus?

Carol: Away in a Manger   vs. 2

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes, but little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love thee Lord Jesus!  Look down from the sky, and stay by my side until morning is nigh.

(The Shepherd and the sheep enter and stop half way up the aisle)

The Angel Raphaela:  One reason the angels love the Christmas story is that we get to have some very important roles.  Let’s gather the little angels and go deliver the good news of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds.

Carol: The First Nowell   Blue Hymnal # 109

The first Nowell the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay;

in fields as they lay, keeping their sheep, on a cold winter’s night that was so deep. 

Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, born is the King of Israel.

Shepherd 1:  What is that bright light?  Am I seeing angels?  I must be dreaming! 

Shepherd 2:  The angels are singing a message to us!

The Angel Chrysilla:  Okay Angels get ready for our big Entrance!

The Angel Gabriel:  Unto us is born this day, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  Go quickly to Bethlehem.  You will find him in a stable there.  Come let us sing this joyful good news. Okay Choir, it’s Showtime!

St. John’s Pageant Choir: Angels we have heard on High   

  Angels we have heard on high, singing sweetly through the night, and the mountains in reply echoing their  brave delight. Gloria in excelsis Deo.  Gloria in excelsis Deo.

(Angels, shepherds and sheep make their way to the stable)

The Angel Oriel: In the East, some wise kings saw the star that announced the birth of some very important person.  So they packed some gifts and traveled to Bethlehem.

Wiseman:  Let us go to Bethlehem to see this special King.

(The wise men process down the aisle with a Handbell Fanfare)

Carol:  We Three Kings  Blue Hymnal # 128

  We three kings of Orient are, bearing gifts we traverse afar, field and fountain, moor and mountain,  following yonder star.  O star of wonder, star of night, star with royal beauty bright; westward leading, still  proceeding, guide us to thy perfect light.

The Angel Michaela:  When the wise men found Jesus, they presented him with special gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh.  And they fell on their knees and worshiped the Christ Child.

Carol: What Child is This?   Blue Hymnal # 115, v. 3

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh, come, peasant king, to own him;

the King of kings salvation brings, let loving hearts enthrone him.

This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing;

haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.

(A little drummer comes down the aisle banging her drum)

Little Drummer: Wait for me!  I have a gift for the baby Jesus too.  I can play him a song on my drum!

The Angel Raphaela:  Aren’t you glad that the angel’s choir doesn’t have a drummer?

Mischieva: Well, maybe we should.  I’d like to learn the drums.

The Angel  Bella:   Every one has a gift for the Baby Jesus so let us sing a song to honor the The Drummer Boy’s gift to the Christ Child.

Carol: The Little Drummer Boy, vss. 1-3

Come they told me, pa rum pum pum pum, A new born King to see, pa rum pum pum pum
Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum,

To lay before the King, pa rum pum pum pum,rum pum pum pum, rum pum pum pum,

So, to honor Him, pa rum pum pum pum ,When we come.

Little baby, pa rum pum pum.  I am a poor boy too, pa rum pum pum pum. 

I have no gift to bring, pa rum pum pum pum. 

That’s fit to give the King, pa rum pum  pum  pum,  rum pum  pum  pum,  rum pum  pum  pum. 

Shall I play for you, pa rum  pum  pum  pum,  on my drum?

Mary nodded, pa rum pum pum pum.  The ox and lamb kept time, pa rum pum pum pum. 

I played my drum for Him, pa rum pum pum pum. 

I played my best for Him, pa rum pum  pum  pum,  rum pum  pum  pum,  rum pum  pum  pum. 

Then he smiled at me, pa rum  pum  pum  pum,  me and my drum?

The Angel Gabriel: And what will you give to the Christ Child tonight?

Everyone: We will give Him our love and we will care for each other!

The Angel Michaela:  Tonight, everyone can join the Choir of Angels.  We need every instrument to play tonight and we need every voice in heaven and on earth to help us shout:

All of the Angels and Crèche Players: Merry Christmas!