Nativities Reviews: Up to our ears in tinsel

As incongruous as it is to be thinking about Christmas at the time of writing, your mind will perhaps already be tentatively peering towards the prospect of a music teacher's busiest month of the year: December.

After last year's videoed performances, I doubt I'm alone in my quiet hope that this festive season will bring back tinsel and straw, a baby being unceremoniously flung into the crib, and parental tussles, mosh pit-style, for front row seats. As music teachers, we get the best seats in the house; we see the children and the audience's reaction. Is it not the best view ever to watch parents enraptured as their little one shouts sings about camels, sheep, donkey, et al, as well as see the fruits of your hard labour live on stage? Being witness to those moments is a glorious privilege.

In the depths of the summer holidays, I had the chance to look at three new nativities for primary schools from Edgy Productions, The School Musicals Company, and Out of the Ark.

A Happy-Clappy Nativity

The performance pack from Edgy Productions has been designed ‘to minimise […] time and effort, without compromising on the quality’–always music to a teacher's ears. A Happy-Clappy Nativity follows the traditional story of the nativity and suggests a running time of 40 minutes with eight songs to learn. It includes 30 speaking parts, although states that these can be easily adapted (there are suggestions as to how to expand or reduce these, including dividing up narrator lines to allow an extra 28 speaking parts) and the option to obtain a free copy of the script for you to edit as you please.

As the title suggests, this production includes ‘clapping-karaoke’ accompaniments to each song. As well as the clapping karaoke, songs allow for extra untuned percussion. Digital backdrops can be bought and used to save time on creating these, and the script is written in rhyming verse with stressed syllables underlined.

The clapping karaoke is great fun. I would agree with the notes attached which state that this production can be done with or without its clapping karaoke and the backing tracks support both choices. Some of the clapping rhythms are syncopated and not always repetitive, so I would suggest this as an opportunity for older children or music prefects to get involved to help keep things glued together. Perhaps you could pick and choose which songs to include the clapping in. Whatever you decide, there are plenty of materials, including videos to teach this thoroughly and accessibly for both specialist and non-specialist teachers.

On listening, the songs are catchy and engaging, with a good variety of styles. A highlight is the lyric, ‘Don't you worry, M and J, God says you will be OK!’ and you will need to build in extra rehearsal time as the children roll around with laughter to, ‘Riding on a camel's back, makes our bottoms very sore.’ Lots of information is included about props, costumes and staging, with plenty of reminders to contact the company with any queries.

Woolly (An Up-Bleat Nativity Musical)

Do we not all have a special place in our hearts for a Niki Davies musical? I cut my teeth as a very young music teacher producing her Christmas nativities with children who are now working in the city.

Woolly the sheep is so woolly that the other sheep tease him and call him names. Woolly's disappearance brings about remorse and concern for his whereabouts, but little do his companions know that Woolly has been chosen for a very special purpose which they will discover when they are taken to a stable in Bethlehem. Baby Jesus will be lying in a manger, wrapped in a special blanket… made from Woolly's wool. The sheep are sorry that they teased Woolly, but Woolly has a kind heart and has already forgiven them.

Created for 4- to 7-year-olds, there are 35 speaking parts in this nativity. Five narrators carry 24 lines between them, with the rest having one or two lines each. Again, the company is happy to provide an editable script for your adaptation for a small fee, and they include advice on how to adapt scripts for smaller or larger casts. The book contains lots of additional suggestions for staging (keep it simple), props and costumes. Plus, I appreciated the ‘Song Notes' and ‘Beyond the Stage–Further Learning Opportunities' with advice on how to introduce each song to your children and extended learning, particularly for the PSHEE themes of friendship and celebrating differences.

As with her other musicals, Davies' songs are extremely child-friendly, with lots of repetition and changing only a few lyrics each verse. This charming story and catchy song collection will be a go-to for Nursery, Reception or Year 1 nativities. I also particularly liked the orchestration of the backing tracks, featuring plenty of chimes, jingle bells and strings – pleasing to listen to compared to those slightly tinny backing tracks we have all experienced over the years.

The Big Little Nativity

The compositional powerhouse that is Mark and Helen Johnson has expanded! They are now joined by Naomi Johnson, a graduate of Leeds College of Music, who has been published by Out of the Ark since 2019.

This traditional nativity production has eight songs, 26 speaking parts and 16 ‘essential’ non-speaking parts – again, with advice on how to adapt the script for your school. With careful planning and organisation, I feel that this could be a real Christmas showstopper for KS1.

For the enthusiastic prop-engineers in your schools, there are guidelines for constructing a large, hand-made book which is to be present on an easel throughout the performance, and a detailed list of props (personal favourite: party hats for the final song – why haven't I thought of that before?). Similar to Davies' production, there are detailed curriculum links, of which I am a huge fan – ideally, Christmas productions shouldn't be bolt-ons in those frantic, dog-eared days of the late autumn term, but embedded into the curriculum with thought.

Familiar as many readers will be with Out of the Ark repertoire, the songs do not disappoint, ranging from sweetly lyrical with excerpts of ‘O come, all ye faithful’, to a samba for the kings/camels and a funky party song complete with wah-pedal guitar for the final number. There will be many favourites for your young students in these. Included at the end of the score is the ‘Big Little Nativity Overture’ for curtains up, bowing and perhaps a little dance routine in the finale(?)

Don't be Afraid!

This seven-song-strong production has parts for 47 speakers divided into large, moderate, small and non-speaking, with options to reduce this to 38 as well as expand non-speaking parts as much as you like. For a school looking for a slightly different angle on the Christmas story, I would strongly recommend this nativity.

The characters of Fear, Panic and Doubt feature throughout the humorous re-telling of the Christmas story, ready and eager to inflict chaos and disaster upon each biblical character but thwarted at every turn. Highlights include ‘Ferrari’ the Donkey and VIPs: Very Important, Precious Sheep.

I loved the songs instantly. They feel fresh and relevant to the age groups we teach. Perhaps it is my ageing brain, but some Christmas repertoire seems to meld into one and stick to a similar formula, but these songs are new and exciting. There are optional harmonies which can be extended to be as challenging as you wish. It is aimed at 5- to 9-year-olds, but I would suggest that this could work brilliantly for Years 3 and 4. Particularly beautiful was the almost folk-like, haunting ‘Away from home’. ‘All of heaven’ sung well, with harmonies, will definitely draw a tear or two from even the most exhausted, busy parent, and I adored the rocking final song, ‘God is with us'.

Final thoughts

So, which to choose? Each of these productions offers something slightly different, and in my excitement about producing something with a live audience, I am left wondering how I could fit each into my school Christmas performance schedule – perhaps one or two need to be deferred to 2022. Both Woolly and The Big Little Nativity are great crowd-pleasers, straight forward and easy to adapt. For more ambitious music teachers with time to prepare, A Happy-Clappy Nativity has great potential for lots of music making with clapping and percussion, although is equally friendly for a slightly over-worked team to put together without any angst. For those who wish to try something new and fresh, take a look at Don't be Afraid!.

Here is to the prospect that we might be able to return to what we do best this autumn term, and I hope that, come December, we're up to our ears in tinsel, straw and audiences munching mince pies.