Winter Concert

Suggested Script & Programming Ideas (Intermediate Performers)

Staging Ideas: Decorate stage with images of snowflakes, bells, evergreens, candles, reindeer, snowmen, stars, dreidel, stockings and chimneys. Encourage students to wear red, green and white.

Speaker: 1: Welcome, Welcome to our Winter Show! We hope to set your hearts aglow! 2: We’ll sing of bells and candles bright as we celebrate the season with music tonight!

Song: Oh, How Lovely

Programming ideas:

• Have bells/Orff instruments perform the Quaver accompaniment or keep the steady downbeat on open fifths.

Speaker:

With Angels watching all night and all day, hope for freedom would always stay.

Song: Swing Low, Sweet Chariot/ All Night All Day

Movement: • Add finger snaps going down on off beats during intro and interlude, using up and down arm motions to accentuate the beat.

Speaker: Speaker: In ancient times, we’re reminded today, that 8 nights the light did stay.

Song: O Hanukkah, O Hanukkah

Movement: • Add hand claps and tambourine to intro and interlude.

Speaker: Imagine what happens when snowy weather, a magic hat and kids come all together.

Song: Frosty the Snowman

Programming ideas:

• Select students for special parts for action on side of stage: § Kids to “build” Frosty- may wear cold weather clothing. Carry broom, scarf and magic hat- adding glitter or shiny ribbon. § Frosty- wearing oversized white sweatshirt and white hat. § Cop - Dark blue shirt, belt, paper badge, keep stop sign hidden until needed). • Use movements that connect to the meaning of the lyrics. Movement: • “Frosty the Snowman was a jolly, happy soul”: select students build Frosty • “with a corn cob pipe”: pretend to put pipe on side of mouth. • “and a button nose”: point to nose. • “and two eyes made out of coal”: point to eyes • “Frosty the Snowman is a fairytale, they say”: open hands to form book. • “He was made of snow”: ASL for snow (fingers wiggle downward as flakes). • “but the children know how”: point to brain. • “he came to life one day.” ASL for live (form L in both hands and bring upside of body). • “There must have been some magic in that old, silk hat they found”: attention to student holding hat- student

shows great interest in hat while presenting it for audience to see. • “for when they placed it on his head”: all students pretend to put on hat. • “he began to dance around”: all students dance in place, Frosty dances. • “Frosty the Snowman was alive as he could be”: students dance arms side to side, snapping fingers. • “and the children say he could laugh and play”: hand by belly for laugh. • “just the same as you and me”: point out and in. • INSTRUMENTAL: Have ensemble air improv on trumpet or trombone moving bodies to feel the music. Have 2 students in center of ensemble hold up actual or pretend instruments and air jam. • “Frosty the Snowman knew the sun”: hold hand up and to side away from selves. • “was hot that day”: wave hand to fan face. • “So he said, Let’s run and we’ll have some fun”: move arms in running motion. • “now before I melt away.”: wiggle fingers down from head. • “Down to the village”: point down. • “with a broomstick in his hand”: sweep back and forth. • “running here and there”: point to one side, then the other. • “all around the square”: draw a square with fingers. • “sayin’, ‘Catch me if you can!’”: hand to side of mouth. Frosty and kids walk across stage.

• “He led them down the streets of town right to the traffic cop”: slowly pan hand across and pulse on cop. Cop comes forward with sign down. • “and he only paused a moment when he heard him holler”: cop confronts Frosty • “‘Stop!’”: stop sign up. Students hold up hand to show stop. • “For Frosty the Snowman had to hurry on his way”: move arms in running motion. • “but he waved goodbye”: big wave. • “sayin’, ‘Don’t you cry’”: ASL for cry (pointer fingers coming down from eyes like tears). • “I’ll be back again someday.”: thumbs up to chest. Pulse with words. • “Thumpety thump, thump, thumpety thump, thump!”: arms move to beat as if marching. • Sax solo: Hands wave to the beat as Frosty heads off the stage.

Speaker: Decorating halls and trees with family and friends, hoping joy of the holidays never ends.

Song: Christmas Medley 3-5

Programming ideas: • Adjust tempo as needed for accuracy. • Add barred metals.

• Include the Audience by printing the lyrics in the program. Move some strong singers into the audience area and invite audience to sing along. Movement: • Add sway on We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Speaker: 1: We’ve shared music, joy and had lots of fun! Now our show is almost done. 2: Dashing and laughing on your way, we wish you all a happy holiday.

Song: Jingle Bells

Programming ideas: • For fun, use a wagon (can be decorated as a sleigh), a reindeer headband, a Santa hat and two kids to pull Santa into stage area on the chorus of “Jingle Bells.” • Park the sleigh in front and join in singing. • Youngest students get jingle bells for the refrain. Single bells can be strung on a piece of yarn or ribbon to create jingle necklaces for young students. Involve the audience by inviting parents to jingle their keys on the refrain. Movement: • INTRO: Students bend knees and move to the beat.

• “Dashing through the snow”: swing fist/arm across in an “here we go” fashion. • “in a one-horse open sleigh”: point up showing #1 • “o'er the fields we go”: pan hand across • “laughing all the way”: ASL for laugh (shape “L” in hands and scoop up by face) • “Bells on bobtail ring”: shake fist up/” bell” to the beat. • “making spirits bright”: ASL for bright (fingers closed, then open jazz hands by shoulders) • “What fun it is”: “Here we go” fist. • “to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight”: hold reigns and bounce. • “Oh! Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way”: shake fist up/” bell” to the beat. • “oh, what fun”: “Here we go” fist. • “it is to ride”: hold reigns and bounce. • “Hey!”: raise fist high. • With hands in choir clasp, heads move side to side with bells (ding, dong, ding dong). Then squat down and freeze for 2 beats. Stand up for 2 beats.

Second time through, encourage students to have lots of fun with movements!

At the end, add raised shimmering jazz hands and have students shout “happy holidays!” or “Merry Christmas!