Posted by Communications Liaison Ellie Simpson, thanks to Archivist Jon Coss.
St. Francis of Assisi is credited with the first Christmas pageant in 1223. He created a candlelight service with a Nativity and live animals. Centuries later, to draw folks out of the pubs and into church, Bishop Edward Benson of England introduced his “Festival of Lessons and Carols.” After World War I, Dean Milner-White of King’s College simplified Benson’s service. BBC has broadcast the popular service on the radio since 1928 and on television since 1954.
Bishop Benson (left) emphasized music over preaching. Dean Eric Milner-White.
The Huguenot Sunday School presented its first Christmas play in the sanctuary on December 23, 1928. Titled “Why the Chimes Rang,” it featured the children’s choir. The following year, “The Nativity” cast children as Mary, Joseph, prophets, angels, shepherds, and the Magi. The pageant went into the 1930s with variations on the theme like “And They Brought Gifts,” and “The Light from the Book.”
Huguenot continued with similar plays through the 1940’s, ‘50s, and ‘60s: “The Coming of the Christ,” The Holy Nativity,” “A Mystery for Christmas,” “No Room at the Inn,” “The Star-Lighted Path,” and “When the Christ Child Came.” A play called “The Holy Grail” was performed twice in the 1950s (long before the Monty Python version).
Rev. Frederick Jenkins. Linus says, “Fear not!” and drops his security blanket.
Charles Schulz’s comic strip Peanuts led to the TV broadcast of A Charlie Brown Christmas in 1965. Based on his characters, the show used the voices of child actors, simple animation, and a jazz trio. Linus’s character expressed the “true meaning of Christmas” when he recited from Luke 2: 8-14. The telecast led many churches to put on their own Christmas pageants.
England’s “Festival of Lessons and Carols” came to Huguenot in 1972 and became an afternoon tradition. It starts with the children processing into the sanctuary, singing, “Once in Royal David’s City.” Bible readings by children and adults alternate with music – carols by the children’s choir, chancel choir, bell choir, and soloists. The children are dressed as Mary, Joseph, the innkeeper, angels, shepherds, sheep, camels, the star, and Magi. Since the 1990s, the parents of new-born babies have often portrayed Mary, Joseph, and Jesus.
Three angels with wings and halos. Three shepherds with head scarves.
There have been some interesting exceptions to the usual service. In 1988 the kids dressed up as animals and insects to perform “Angels, Lambs, Ladybugs and Fireflies.” In 1991 and 1992, Huguenot conducted a “Love Feast,” based on a Moravian “Agape” service. The congregation enjoyed eating specially-made sweet buns and drinking sweetened coffee.
In 2020 the Covid pandemic led the pageant’s cancellation. But we recovered in 2021 with an Outdoor Nativity Tableau, featuring live zoo animals. Attendees masked up and applied Purell.
Living creche/outdoor Nativity tableau, 2021.
The pageant’s supporting cast is legion. Music credits go to Director Kathy Jones, our Julliard soloists, the Hudson Brass Quartet, harpist Nancy Allen, violinist Maria Conti, and the adult and children’s choirs. Sylvia Rowe directs the pageant. Sylvia Hazlehurst and Monty Bennett dress the children with assistance from Huguenot mothers and nursery school teachers. Bob Rendon handles the sound system, Stephen Byfield operates the livestream, and Syd Thayer videotapes the program. And there are many more helpers behind the scenes.
Sources:
BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/27SPcx79mMxS0dxt9CQ4yhW/celebrating-100-years-of-nine-lessons-and-carols. “A Festival of Nine Carols and Lessons.”
Cady, Nick. Theology for the People. “When Linus Dropped His Blanket.” 23 December 2016.
https://nickcady.org/2016/12/23/when-linus-dropped-his-blanket/
Christianity Today. 18 December 2023. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2023/december-web-only/lessons-and-carols-service-history-cambridge-world-war-i-an.html
HMC Archives. Sunday bulletins, pageant programs, photos. Huguenot Herald, May 1976.
Jones, Erin. “Nine Lessons and Carols.” https://www.christianitytoday.com/2023/12/lessons-and-carols-service-history-cambridge-world-war-i-an/
Kelly, Guy. “Fascinating Facts of the Great War,” The Telegraph Magazine. 24 Dec 2018. Dean Eric Milner-White. https://fascinatingfactsofww1.blogspot.com/2018/
Wikipedia. Bishop Benson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_White_Benson
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