Time. Christmas Eve.
Place. A dimly lighted hall or church.
Persons in the Tableau.
The Three Wise Men
A Shepherd
An Angel
Mary, Joseph and the Child
A group of singers in choir robes
The Setting. A dark curtain background.
The audience is seated in a dimly lighted hall, at the windows of
which long Christmas tapers are burning. When everything is still,
far outside in the distance “Adeste Fideles” is heard. The song comes
nearer. A group of singers dressed in choir robes enter and pass up
the center aisle, singing in a glad, spirited fashion.
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
They group themselves in a semicircle in front of the stage, kneeling
as they sing the “Amen.” The lighted tapers which they carry throw a
lively, warm light on their young faces.
The curtains part, revealing the tableau of the Three Wise Men, their
gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They enter from the right and
slowly move across the stage toward a great light, singing.
_Tune: Traditional Melody_
We three Kings of Orient are,
Bearing gifts, we wander afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.
The singers down in front sing the chorus:
O star of wonder, star of might,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
The King bearing gold sings:
Born a King on Bethlehem plain,
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King for ever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.
The chorus chants:
“O star of wonder” etc.
The King bearing frankincense, sings:
Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising all men raising,
Worship Him, God on high.
Chorus chants the refrain:
“O star of wonder” etc.
The King bearing myrrh sings:
Myrrh is mine; its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom:
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb.
The chorus chants:
“O star of wonder” etc.
All three Kings sing:
Glorious now behold Him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice;
Heaven sings Alleluia;
Alleluia, the earth replies.
The chorus chants the refrain and the Three Wise Men go off to the left
in the direction from which the light came. The curtains close and
choir sings:
_Tune: Carol, by R. S. Willis_
It came upon the midnight clear,
That glorious song of old,
From angels bending near the earth
To touch their harps of gold.
“Peace on the earth, good-will to men,
From heaven’s all-gracious King,”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
To hear the angels sing.
They swing from the “Amen” of this hymn to another old familiar one,
“While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night.” The curtain rises,
revealing the tableau of the Shepherds. The persons in the picture
pantomime the action as the chorus sings the words.
While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
All seated on the ground,
An angel of the Lord came down
And glory shone around.
And glory shone around.
Fear not, said he, for trembling dread
Had seized their troubled minds,
Good tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
To you and all mankind.
To you in David’s town this day
Is born of David’s line,
A Savior who is Christ the Lord
And this shall be the sign.
And this shall be the sign.
The curtains close on the “Amen.” The chorus sings:
_Tune: Old Traditional German Melody._
Silent night, holy night,
Darkness flies, all is light,
Shepherds hear the angels sing
Alleluia, hail the King,
Christ, the Saviour is here,
Jesus, the Saviour is here!
Silent night, holy night,
Guiding star, lend thy light!
With the angels let us sing
Alleluia to our King,
Christ, the Saviour is here,
Jesus, the Saviour is here!
After the “Amen” the chorus sings “Sleep, Holy Child,” as the curtain
rises on the tableau of the Nativity.
_English version by Frederick H. Martens; tune: Old French Noël,
arranged by Herbert Tones._
Lying around the oxen mild,
Sleep, sleep, sleep, O Holy Child!
Round Thee as they wing,
Guardian angels sing,
Homage pay to Thee,
To infant love’s sweet King.
Sleep, sleep, sleep, O Holy Child!
2nd. Roses and lilies round Thee piled, etc.
3rd. Dreams by the shepherds’ song beguiled.
The curtain closes as the chorus chants with bowed head the “Amen.” The
singers rise and turning toward the audience sing “Joy to the World.”
_Tune: Antioch._
Joy to the world! The Lord is come,
Let earth receive her King,
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
He rules the world with truth and grace.
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, and wonders of His love.
The music changes to the same processional to which they entered. The
chorus, with lighted tapers held high, pass down the aisle and away,
singing as they go.
_Adeste Fideles._
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,
Jesus, to Thee be all glory given:
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
The “Amen” is heard way in the distance. The tableau is ended.