Introduction

How do you bring a story back to life? How do you add meaning to a story that already means so much to us? How do you stay true to the word of God and still create something new, modern and fresh? How do you make music for such a powerful message of love, joy and wonder? What can we still add to the message of the Lord?

These were the questions we asked ourselves when we started writing Dit Kind Immanuel. We had long wanted to retell the Christmas story. Supported by beautiful music and with a new twist to the message: What does the birth of a divine child 2000 years ago mean for people today? We wanted to make the beautiful Christmas story personal and support it musically in a new, modern way; with different styles of music and always easy to sing. We wanted to offer choirs an evening-filling, ready-made program. Including singing together well-known songs such as “Silent Night” and “Ere zij God”. During the first performances we saw and heard that this was certainly successful. We are grateful for the inspiration and support we have received!

Overture (Overture)
Leon chose to start this piece with the well-known “O kom Immanuel”. The thin vocals and the swelling arrangement grab you and pull you into the musical. For centuries, people have been looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. The promise that God has made to humanity. I got goosebumps at the first performance of this piece and now every time I hear it again. Beautiful how the tempo is also picked up and the piece continues in the first song:

Take us by the hand (Will You please lead me)
Here we are taken back to the time before the savior was born. Times were hard for the inhabitants of the promised land. The Roman rulers ruled with an iron fist. The population kept their heads above water by working hard and trusting in the word of God: The Savior is coming! The arrangement also tells of the hard times in the verses and sounds hopeful again in the chorus! It is important to keep this contrast in mind when performing it. The bridge at the end is a plea: Take us by the Hand, Lord. It is the first powerful highlight of this musical.

I Pledge my life to Thee Before Joseph went to Bethlehem with Mary, he had to overcome something: He was convinced that he would be better off leaving his future wife. After all, she was pregnant, but not by Him. The doubt he has can be heard in the first verse. But then an angel appears in a dream and tells him the truth: Do not be afraid, Joseph! Mary is carrying the savior! In the music, it is clear that the angel has come: musically, a new world opens up! The second verse therefore naturally sounds cheerful and light! The possible soloist can sing fluently and loosely.

On the Way (The way)
The journey to Bethlehem must have been a difficult one. It must have taken three days. We have tried to imagine what that must have been like. In this song, Joseph's thoughts can be heard. He is sometimes at his wits' end but determined to take care of his wife and child. His trust in God is persevering. The landscape is visible in the music and the cadence of walking is palpable. The verses do not have to be sung staccato but rather fluently. The chorus, with its elongated melody lines, is a contrast to the many notes in the verses.

Is there a place for Him?
There was no room for them in the inn. No one offered them anything. There was no room for our Lord then. We extend the question to the here and now. In the text we ask ourselves what place the Lord occupies with us. Does he have a place in your house? The repetition of the melody in this song without chorus or verse offers the choir the opportunity to work on the structure and dynamics.

Not as a frost (This Child kept heaven in His heart)
Leon has already set this beautiful poem by AF Troost to music before and it is now part of this musical. What a beautiful poem it remains! It is also about faith. Who believed that this Child was the savior? After all, He did not come as a king but as a vulnerable baby. The repetition in the music is also a challenge for the choir now. Dynamics must be added to the repetitive melody, but it must not become too exuberant. The song is too modest for that.

Sleep now (Go to sleep)
A lullaby written from the experience of a father. How Joseph must have looked at the divine child that had just come into the world. Wonder, joy, mixed with the knowledge that a special life lay ahead for this child. The music and text come together here in a special way.

Gloria! (Gloria!)
Christ is born and we sing for joy! In this Gloria we really go all out. The special way in which Leon has incorporated Vivaldi's Gloria and classical songs and melodies into this song make this Gloria so special. Textually and musically a challenging piece that you can best study part by part.

Who is He to You A piece in 6/8 time signature with a stately chorus. In this text, the connection is again made between the birth of the Child Jesus and the God that He still is today. Together with the Gloria, this song forms the run-up to the title piece that follows. It is another highlight for the more subdued song Dit Kind Immanuel. When rehearsing, keep in mind that the choir and musicians do not go over the top in the chorus and really keep singing and playing music!

This Child Immanuel (This child Immanuel) He has finally come! At Christmas we celebrate that God has lived with us on earth and sacrificed himself for us. He has freed us from sin and guilt. He gave himself as a gift. In this song we express our gratitude for this and our amazement about it. The song starts small with a piano intro and slowly expands to the climax in the bridge. It thus takes a beautiful run-up to the next song:

I Live! (I Live!)
Through the birth of God on earth we now live! This song forms with Glory, Glory, for this night a two-in-one in which we express our joy. It is a beautiful moment in the evening when the first sounds of "Ik Leef" can be heard. With the riff with an oriental character it invites the audience to join in. If the text is available to the audience in a booklet or on a beamer they will certainly want to sing along.

Glory, glory, for this night (Glory, Glory a King is born)
You might recognize this song. It is already performed a lot in the Netherlands. For this musical, Leon has adapted the intro and made a few other changes. It has become a beautiful conclusion to our musical that has often been used as a reprise during the performances. We wish you a lot of fun practicing and performing. We sincerely hope that you will receive as many positive reactions as we have received! And above all, we hope that you and the audience will be touched by the content and the music and that the miracle of the birth of our Savior will become even more meaningful!

Leon van Veen & Erwin de Vos