Night of Wonder, Night of Joy

Night of Wonder, Night of Joy. (A Dramatic Musical Experience for Christmas). By Ruth Elaine Schram. For SATB choir, narrator, piano (with optional orchestration). Cantatas. Christmas, Sacred. Published by Lorenz Publishing Company (LO.65-1999L).

"Night of Wonder, Night of Joy" is a worship service that celebrates the wondrous miracles surrounding the birth of our Savior. The story begins with Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, finding shelter behind the inn as they prepare for Jesus' birth. The scene then shifts to generations earlier, when the Israelites were enslaved and expectantly looked forward to the coming of a King to free them, the fulfillment of ancient prophecy. The first Christmas scene returns as the service concludes with a celebration of the wonder and joy of God's special gift to us: a Savior, Jesus Christ. The narration may be presented simply, by readers, or dramatically, with characters in costume pantomiming the events as the story unfolds. Inspired by these miraculous events, Niel Lorenz and Ruth Elaine Schram have combined their great talents to create a dramatic musical experience that is certain to fill the hearts of all believers with a sense of wonder and joy in God's goodness.