The keeper of that inn in Bethlehem had no extra room to offer; his inn
was full and he could not ask another guest to give up his room. Rather than turn Joseph
and Mary away, he did the best he could to provide shelter to a woman about to give birth.
Rather than defame him, as preachers have done since I waents at the end of this page as
an aid to others in designing their presentations.
As the years unfold, I hope there will always be a verbal
introduction, but somewhat altered, perhaps like "This tale was inspired by the Biblical
Christmas story. Starting with the 'clop, clop' of the donkey's hoofs as Mary and Joseph
approach the inn, as you listen you can visualize the events of the story as seen through
the eyes of the kindly businessman, The Innkeeper."
This tax is good for my business
My inn is full; they pay and sleep and go
-----Your wife looks full; the night is chill; we must find room
My sheep aren't shorn; the stable's warm; God rest you well
Is this a dream?
This ballad satisfies a long-felt need on my part to be fair to the innkeeper, who did the best he could with an over-booked inn and a pregnant woman nearing delivery.
In our initial season
the song was sung before
live audiences. My hope had been that the soloist would be a bass or baritone -- I'm a
'sort-of' tenor and appreciate the sonorous depth of a bass -- wearing a Jewish skull cap
and behind a music stand, horizontal at about waist height and turned around with lip
toward the audience to make a crude desk, possibly with quill in hand for record keeping.
The announcer spoke "We are performing a new Christmas drama, The Innkeeper, inspired
by the Biblical Christmas story. As you listen you can visualize the events of the story as
seen through the eyes of the Jewish businessman, the innkeeper, as he speaks to himself or
to Joseph." The soloist seemed to concentrate on his record keeping, which he continued
as the pianist played the first line of the chorus as introduction.
He looked up to sing the first two lines of the first verse, then returned to concentrate on his records as the piano played the three-measure piano solo. Then he looked up and extended his hand to an unseen Joseph: "Your wife looks full, the night is chill" and with hand to chin in thinking pose "we must find room." Piano run. Hand up to suggest inspiration with an idea: "My stable's warm, my sheep aren't shorn" and then with two hands together to a tilted cheek to suggest sleep, "God rest you well." Piano run. Startled: "Is this a dream?" Then the soloist's microphone was muted during the chorus.
Women only sang first line of chorus "Celestial music fills the air with heav'nly song and sounds that stir the soul." Entire group sang the balance of the chorus.
Soloist, hands up in jubilation: "A boy is born in my stable" and turned to phantom Joseph "Pray stay a while; his mother can't be moved." Contemplation during piano run, : "We must find clothes; his manger's warm" and again to phantom Joseph, spoken, "You must take food." Piano run. Hand to chest in pride: "My inn is blest" and hand extended toward Joseph: "Your work will pay." Again in sleep pose: "God watch o'er all." Piano run. Again, startled: "Was that a dream?" Again, the soloist's microphone was muted during the chorus.
Chorus as before.
All men sang third verse with no further gestures by the soloist. (Soloist's microphone optional.)
Chorus as before but with alternate last line "With peace on Earth good will to men."
Afterward:
During the fall of 2006 sheet music included melody only -- no harmony --
and was generated with inadequate understanding of the computer program. I have added
(early 2008) an introduction, to suggest the donkey with its burden approaching the inn,
and harmony. The finished piece is linked as three sheets; see above.
A fourth verse was added January 2007 and was not included in initial peformances or in my application for copyright registration. At director's option, it may be ignored or sung by all men or by the entire group. Of course the alternate ending would follow the fourth rendition of the chorus rather than the third.
Men's harmony (a melody in its own right) was added in March 2007 and later meshed with primary melody. In my mind's ear I can hear the chorus rendered with varied emphases, thus: (1) emphasize male voices first time on the chorus (all sing but with female voices softened), (2) emphasize female voices second time, (3) emphasize soprano and tenor parts, and (4) all sing with equal loudness: selective emphasis at director's option.
Further refinement, undertaken January 2008 because of traffic to this web page during the fall of 2007, includes an introduction using piano accompaniment and jam blocks to suggest the donkey's hoof beats, with the donkey continuing into the first verse to suggest arrival of the donkey's burden in front of the inn. (Jam blocks may be sounded during the third verse and possibly into the chorus following that verse -- It would be well in an introduction to the presentation to mention the donkey hoof beats lest the audience overlook the suggestion.) I have completed piano accompaniment and meshed voices in the chorus. Link provided.
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