Christmas Cantata: Were You There on That Christmas Night?
Christmas Cantata: Were You There on That Christmas Night?
CHRISTMAS CANTATA
“Were You There on That Christmas Night”
A Christmas Musical
By Lloyd Larson (Text by Lloyd Larson, William Neidlinger, & Phillips Brooks)
- A Great Light!
Were You There on that Christmas Night/Natalie Sleeth Allison Chase, Solo
Were you there, were you there on that Christmas night,
When the world was filled with a holy light?
Were you there to behold when the wonder foretold came to earth?
Did you hear how the choirs of angels sang
At the glory of the sight?
Did you hear how the bells of heaven rang all through the night?
The people walking in darkness shall see a great light!
The people living in darkness on them a light will shine!
And the glory of God shall be shown, the will of God made known.
The people walking in darkness shall see a great light!
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given,
And the government shall be on his shoulders,
And he shall be called Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace.
Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus / HYFRYDOL by Wesley & Prichard
Come, thou long expected Jesus, born to set they people free;
From our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art;
Dear Desire of ev’ry nation, Joy of ev’ry longing heart.
The people walking in darkness will see a great light!
- Bethlehem
John Bleem, Solo
Reading: In time the long-awaited Promised One did come, shattering the dark night of hopelessness and dismay for the chosen people of Israel. But he came not as many had anticipated. For God chose two common individuals to fulfill the divine plan as the earthly parents of the Messiah: a carpenter named Joseph, and a young maiden named Mary.
Caesar Augustus had issued a decree that a census be taken of the entire Roman world. Everyone was to return to their ancestral home for the census. Joseph and Mary went to the town of Bethlehem, the city of David, because Joseph belonged to the house and line of King David. While they were there, Jesus was born.
In the little village of Bethlehem, there lay a child one day,
And the sky was bright with a holy light o’er the place where Jesus lay.
‘Twas a humble birthplace, but oh how much God gave to us that day;
From the manger bed what a path has led, what a perfect, holy way.
O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie!
Above they deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.
How silently how silently the wondrous gift is giv’n;
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav’n.
No ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him still the dear Christ enters in.
III. Never Been a Night Like This!
Reading(based on Luke 2:8-16): Just outside of Bethlehem, there were shepherds in the fields keeping watch over their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, the quiet routine of an ordinary watch was shattered as the night became like none other they had ever experienced! An angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone brightly around them. They were terrified!
The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy! Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you. You will find the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the sky was filled with a great company of the heavenly host appearing with the angel praising God and saying “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace and goodwill to all.”
There were shepherds in the field keeping watch at night
When out of the dark, a most unusual sight.
An angel of the Lord came with news of joy,
“The Savior’s been born tonight, a baby boy!”
The shepherds rejoiced on that Christmas night
As the heavenly host turned the darkness bright.
There’d never been a night like this before,
With the angels around to praise the Lord.
The glory of the Lord was revealed this night.
There’d never been a song like this before,
Heaven’s music proclaimed the birth of Christ, the Lord.
There’d never been a night like this before.
“Do not be afraid,” the angel said to them,
“You will find the baby down in Bethlehem.
He’s in a manger bed, such a humble birth,
The King of kings has come down to earth.”
The shepherds rejoiced and began to run
To the newborn King, God’s holy Son.
There’d never been a night like this before!
O Come, All Ye Faithful / CANTUS DIVERSI / Wade & Oakeley
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Never been a night like this before!
- All is Well
Wes Hunget, Solo
Reading: When the angels had left and gone into heaven the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened and which the Lord has told us about,” So they hurried off to Bethlehem where they found Mary and Joseph and the newborn baby who was lying in the manger.
All is well, all is well. Angels and men rejoice!
For tonight darkness fell into the dawn of love’s light.
Sing alle, sing alleluia!
All is well, all is well. Let there be peace on earth.
Christ is come, go and tell that he is in the manger.
Sing alle, sing alleluia!
All is well, all is well. Lift up your voice and sing.
Born is now Emmanuel, Born is our Lord and Savior.
Sing alle, sing alleluia!
- Sing We Now of Christmas
Becky Shelly & Adrienne Eisele Duet
Reading: When the shepherds had seen the newborn Christ-child, they spread the word about what they had witnessed. They shared the news about what had been told to them by the angel and what they had seen with their own eyes. All who heard them were amazed in what the shepherds said.
But Mary, the chosen mother of Jesus, treasured all of these things and pondered them in her heart.
The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen which had been just as the angel had told them.
NOEL NOUVELET / Traditional French Carol
Sing we now of Christmas, Noel, sing we here!
Hear our grateful praises to the Babe so dear.
Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!
Angels called to shepherds, “Leave your flocks at rest,
Journey forth to Bethl’hem, find the lambkin blest.”
Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!
In Bethlehem they found him; Joseph and Mary mild,
Seated by the manger, watching the holy child.
Sing we Noel, the King is born, Noel!
Sing we now of Christmas, sing we now Noel!
What Child is This? / GREENSLEEVES / Traditional French Carol
This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary!
Sing we now Noel!
- Welcome to Our World
Carol Bisbee & Charlie Spillman, solo/duet
Reading: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word(meaning Jesus) was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made. In him was life, and that life was the light for all people!
There came a man who was sent from God by the name of John. He came to bear witness to the light, the true light that gives light to everyone. This radiant, holy light of God – Jesus, the Messiah – was now in the world. And though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. Yet to those who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.
The word become flesh and lived among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son of God, full of grace and truth.
Words and Music by Chris Rice / arr. Lloyd Larson
Tears are falling, hearts are breaking, how we need to hear from God.
You’ve been promised, we’ve been waiting; welcome Holy Child.
Hope that you don’t mind our manger, how I wish we could have known,
But long-a-waited holy Stranger, make yourself at home.
Bring your peace into our violence, bid our hungry souls be filled.
Word not breaking heaven’s silence, welcome to our world.
Fragile finger sent to heal us, tender brow prepared for thorn,
Tiny heart whose blood will save us, unto us is born.
So wrap our injured flesh around you, breathe our air and walk our sod.
Rob our sin and make us holy, perfect Son of God.
Welcome to our world.
VII. Were You There on that Christmas Night?
Reading: After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem seeking him. “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
After consulting with the chief priests and teachers of the law. Herod sent the Magi to Bethlehem. “Go and search for the child. When you have found him, report back to me so that I too may go and worship him.”
They went on their way and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them, stopping over the place where the child was. Entering the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary. They bowed down and worshipped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, the Magi returned their home by another route.
Words and Music by Natalie Sleeth / arr. Lloyd Larson
Were you there, were you there on the Christmas night,
When the world was filled with a holy light?
Were you there to behold when the wonder foretold came to earth?
Did you see, did you see how they hailed him King,
With the gifts so rare that they chose to bring?
Did you see how they bowed as they praised him aloud at his birth?
Did you hear how the choirs of angels sang at the glory of the sight?
Did you hear how the bells of heaven rang all through the night?
Did you know, did you know it was God’s own Son,
The salvation of the world begun?
Did you know it was love that was sent from above to the earth?
VIII. Glory to the Newborn King!
Reading: Were you there on that first Christmas night? In many ways you were there and so was I. From shepherds to Magi, the most common of people to the most sophisticated, we have all been invited to kneel before the Christ-child who come to free us from the chains that bind us.
God has chosen ordinary people like us, in the same manner that Joseph and Mary were chosen, to share the love of Christ with our world. On this day like that first Christmas night, we are humbled by the incarnation story; that God would come to us in human form.
Celebrate the great news of a miraculous Christmas night! Invite Christ to be born anew in your heart. Sing with angels, shepherds, Magi, and people of faith: “Glory to God on high! Glory to the newborn King!”
Gloria in excelsis Deo! Glory be to God on high!
On Christmas Night All Christians Sing
SUSSEX CAROL / Traditional English Carol
On Christmas night all Christians sing to hear the news the angels bring;
News of great joy, news of great mirth,
News of our merciful King’s birth.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
MENDELSSOHN / Wesley & Mendelssohn
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the newborn King.
Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”
Joyful all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies,
With th’ angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! the herald angels sing. “Glory to the newborn King.”
Congregation joins:
Hail the heav’n-born Prince of Peace! Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings, Ris’n with healing in his wings.
Mild he lays his glory by, Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise us from the earth, Born to give us second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing. “Glory to the newborn King!”
Choir:
Did you hear how the choirs of angel sang at the glory of the sight?
Did you hear how the bells of heaven rang all through the night?
Were you there, were you there on that Christmas night,
When the world was filled with a holy light?
Were you there to behold when the wonder foretold came to earth?
Sing Gloria in excelsis Deo! Glory be to God on High. Amen!