Reviewed by Mary Brows

Mark and Helen Johnson scored a 'hit' with this nativity musical in 1990 and it continues to enthral primary school children, teachers, parents and church children's groups around the UK. The teacher-friendly package offers a songbook with comprehensive piano arrangements, simple percussion parts, lyric sheets for photocopying, easy-to-follow stage directions, ideas for costumes and props and tips for teachers, plus a professionally recorded cassette with a full performance on side A using middle school children's voices; side B is a top quality backing track to sing along to (useful for non-musicians). Especially for 5-11 year olds, the nine modern, catchy songs vary from up tempo to reflective, from pomp to enthusiasm. My favourite is "A Star A Stable And Me". The message of Christmas comes over very powerfully. If you are looking for an original nativity for Christmas, look no further!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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