By Steve Stoner
For Proclaim!
Each Christmas the students of Saint Matthew School in Tyrone prepare a pageant that highlights the performing and visual arts programs. On Wednesday, December 18, a capacity crowd experienced the glorious birth of our Savior through the eyes of these young children. The successful performance was possible because of the time offered by several mentors in music and theater.
Twinkle and the Angel Band is a lighthearted story of one angel who felt she didn’t possess any talents to offer the baby Jesus. “I got to play Twinkle,” said second grader Jade Campbell. “It was fun to be an angel that became a star to shine over the stable in Bethlehem.”
In the story the angels are performing their own Christmas pageant where they play stars, each with a special skill to offer. It is finding Twinkle’s skill of shining brightly that leads to her offer a gift to Jesus. As part of the story the students performed traditional carols that included violin and bell choir accompaniment.
Music teacher Debbie Johnson commented, “It is so rewarding to see these young musicians be so willing to learn songs and be open to new experiences with instruments. Passing on a love of music and helping each child find their particular area of interest is what makes this experience so amazing.”
The performance portion of the program included sessions in acting as well as costume and set design and construction. That expertise came from members of the local theater company, the Tyrone Community Players. “Training a new generation of children in the magic of theater is such a rewarding experience,” said Cindy Bennett, a TCP veteran and Board member. “Acting is not for everyone, but everyone benefits from learning how to express themselves in front of others and becoming confident with talking in public.”
The other part of theater magic is what happens off stage. TCP member Nancy Sloss spearheaded the creation of costume pieces that would help the actors become their character. “It would be easier to just give each child a costume to wear, but to truly develop an appreciation for theater, an actor needs to recognize all the work that goes on backstage before the actor steps on stage.” Each actor was tasked with making a main costume piece that transformed them from being an angel into a star. In addition, they created an angel to display on stage to represent the “Heavenly Hosts”.
Kindergartner Carson Allman was very excited about his costume exclaiming, “My star is so shiny and sparkly and I can’t wait to wear it!”
“Me, too. Being a star is so much fun,” added classmate Emma Christine.
The Saint Matthew Christmas Program consisted of vocal and instrumental selections by the students followed by the musical performance. The entire program can be viewed through the link on the Saint Matthew School Tyrone Facebook page/
Principal Pauline Wiley commented, “Our students are so fortunate to have this opportunity to share their God-given talents under the direction of these local mentors. There is no better way to celebrate true meaning of Christmas than by enjoying the joy exuded by these young children.”
