Jazz Nativity: What Child is This?

Description

Jazz Nativity is a creative retelling (re-imagining) of the Christmas narrative through jazz and storytelling. Performed in a concert setting it can easily be adapted for use in worship. Each Jazz Nativity has been performed in church sanctuaries with the pastor as host, a guest storyteller to assist in highlighting the story, actors who portray various roles, and, of course, the band.

All Christmas music is notated in the script and arrangements can be found in our Worship in a New Key jazz hymnbook – volume 2. Additional carols and secular Christmas may be substituted and/or added.

At the core of Jazz Nativity is the gospel message of hope, peace, joy and love fulfilled in the birth of the Christ child. While Jazz Nativity is written to “re-imagine” the Christmas story dramatically and humorously, audiences have expressed their appreciation for experiencing the “old story” in a new way.

We hope you’ll like our Jazz Nativity scripts. We believe that these interesting characters and classic jazz carols will breath new life into your church’s Christmas season.

A quick glimpse at “What Child Is This?” – Sample script section

[As the music concludes a commotion is heard from the rear of the sanctuary. Two old codgers begin ambling up the aisle. 

An elderly man (Simeon), nattily dressed as if it were the 1940’s—double-breasted suit, wide tie, spats over his shoes, wearing a fedora—strides purposefully, if just a bit wobbly, using an ornate cane for support. Simeon is accompanied by an ancient-looking woman (Anna). She leans on a wheeled-walker to help her keep her balance. Incongruously, she’s dressed as if she were a 1920’s flapper. Even though she’s constantly on the verge of falling over, somehow she has an exuberant energy that gives the impression that she’s always on the verge of dancing a jig.

Simeon is doing his best to maintain his composure as the old crone babbles on].

Anna: So they put us together again, Simmy. They know we make a good team . . . you and me. I just love this time of year, don’t you, Simmy? The rest of the year, it’s just knitting afghans and rocking by the fireplace . . . but come December—WHAMMO [she pounds her walker hard on the floor as Simeon rolls his eyes]—we get to tell . . . the . . . story!

[She dances a brief, wobbly, jig . . . stops and looks expectantly at him while he stands stoically rigid. Then, playfully, she elbows him in the ribs]

Tell the story. We get to tell the story, don’t we, Simmy?

Simeon: [Greatly annoyed] I am not Simmy! My name is . . .

Anna: Oh, lighten up mister high-and-mighty prophet. Give us a smile . . . a wee smile . . . won’t hurt, you know. They say it takes more muscles to frown than it does . . .

Simeon: . . . to smile. Yes, I know.

[He turns to the audience and gives an overly emotive smile]. 

How’s that?

Anna: Could use a little more upturn of the lips, but it’ll do . . . for the moment.

[She pulls a piece of paper somewhere out of her costume and races her walker to the front]

Let’s see . . . Time to get down to business. Who’s in charge here?

Host: I suppose that would be me.

Anna: [Looking at the paper] You the storyteller?

Host: Yours truly.

[Simeon takes the paper from Anna’s hand and begins to skim read aloud]

Simeon: Jazz Nativity . . . re-imagining Christmas . . . jazz . . . storytelling . . . community celebration . . . signed by Angelica Celesticus . . . Yes, everything seems in order.