Early American Christmas, An

A Revolutionary Holiday Celebration

The Christmas season has begun all across the country, and schools everywhere are preparing for their upcoming productions. At one school in particular, the setting for their musical revue is America, circa 1776. While working on their sets, the students are inspired to discuss what Christmas must have really been like back then. America was a brand new country and there was a great deal of tension and strife. Still, Americans found a way to celebrate the season bringing with them the songs and traditions of their ancestors. The modern students magically meet kids from the colonial era, sharing some of the early American songs still familiar today, comparing and contrasting styles and instruments with their own. Carols from the period like "Deck The Halls," "Here We Come A-Caroling," and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" feature special arrangements that conjure up the period, as do recordings designed as underscores for dramatic parts of the narration.

Teresa and Paul Jennings' unique all-school revue includes nine carefully arranged unison/2-part songs (and even one song that can be performed as unison, 2- or 3-part - a strikingly poignant setting of "Auld Lang Syne"). It is also constructed so that it can easily be customized by adding other music that your students have prepared.

An Early American Christmas brings the past and present together with a unique blend of traditional and contemporary styles that your students will love. It includes: