Amahl and the Night Visitors
& Other Christmas Classics
presented by
The Music Ministry of First Baptist Church
THE PATH OF PEACE
The day shall dawn upon us from on high to give light to those who sit in
darkness and in the shadow of death, guiding our feet into the path of peace.
Luke 1:79
CAST
Amahl ............................... David Roby
His Mother .........................Mary Roby
King Kaspar ............Donald W. Martin
King Melchior .......... Nelson McDaniel
King Balthazar.................... Terry Fern
The Page ............................. Cass Davis
Shepherd Dancers..... Natalie Anthony
Hannah McDowell
Shepherds ........................ Cindy Canoy
Millie Holbrook
Laura Marshburn
Gina McWhirter
Melba McWhirter
Janet Tench
Holly Watts
Bob Dills
Reggie Ledford
Blake McWhirter
Patrick Spangler
Jer Thao
CREW
Director ......................... Andrew Roby
Stage Director ......... Crystal McDaniel
Pianos ... Emily Monroe & Jeri Ledford
Oboe................................... Eben Mann
Prelude Music ................ Bryan Young
Dennis “Tank” Davis
Nikao Wallace
Stuart Wallace
Sets and Props..................Susan Evans
Wee Dee Evans, Vicki Halloran
Bill Horn, Terry Fern, Mary Roby
Perry Holleman, Carol Ann Hoard
Tony Tench, Boy Scouts Troup 101
Costumes ..................... Dorothy Young
Suzanne Martin, Beverly Weaver
Sound .......................... Kevin Schronce
Bob Watson
Lighting ...................... Taylor Hutchins
Spotlights ..........................Pam Watson
Liz Berkebile
Video Recording ............... Al Whatley
Larry Baker, Brett Collins
Publicity ...................... Dawn Anthony
Brenda Curtis, Alan Griffin
Charles Nalley, Pat Whatley
Phyllis Wortman, Creative Signs
Special Thanks .................. Office Staff
Maintenance Services Staff
Rachel, Rosemary & Jacob Richards
During this season of Advent, our congregation is thinking about this Good
News: Jesus came to the world to lead His followers upon the path of peace:
 Peace for the end.
 Peace for the world’s darkness.
 Peace for our hearts and minds.
 Peace for our doubting days.
Tonight, we look into the world of a young boy — Amahl — whose poor,
humble shepherd home is visited by three kings and their page as they follow
a star to find the King of kings. Listen carefully as the kings describe the One
they seek, the One before whom the “eagle is gentle, the lion is meek.” Even
though they are bringing rich gifts to the Christ, they declare that He “doesn’t
need our gold,” for His kingdom will be built not on material wealth, but “on
love, on love alone. His pierced hand will hold no scepter. His haloed head
will wear no crown. His might will not be built on our toil.” Instead, “He will
bring us new life and receive our death.”
Amahl and the Night Visitors is not a direct musical rendering of scripture.
The story is an account of something that might have happened along the way
as the kings (three of them in this narrative, though the gospel of Matthew
does not specify how many there were) follow the path that is laid before
them by a magnificent star.
If we were to proceed onward with the kings, their page, and Amahl, we
would learn that the Savior of the world was born into surroundings even
more humble than those of Amahl’s home, and that Jesus, the Christ, was not
acclaimed as royalty by those in His own land. But the kings who journeyed
from distant lands “returned to their own countries in a different way.”
Literally, they took a new road home to avoid passing through Jerusalem
where jealous Herod awaited their word of where the newborn King was to be
found so he could have Jesus put to death. More profoundly, we can say that
the kings must have gone home not only by way of a different road, but also
with different hearts and minds. Their encounter with the Christ child gave
them a new map that set their feet on the path of peace.
SETTING
Amahl and the Night Visitors is set in a poor shepherd’s hut located in the
countryside somewhere to the east of Bethlehem. Other shepherds also live in
the area in small hamlets and villages scattered throughout the hillsides.
Amahl is the focal figure of the story. The action and characterizations of the
adult figures are dictated by his point of view.
The two-piano accompaniment of this work is used by arrangement with G. Schirmer.
Amahl and the Night Visitors
by Gian-Carlo Menotti
ADVENT 2006
December 16 and 17 – Six o’clock in the Evening
First Baptist Church
120 North Lafayette Street
Shelby, North Carolina
www.fbcshelby.org
Tony Tench, Pastor  Perry Holleman, Minister of Education  Carol Ann Hoard, Minister of Students  Andrew Roby, Minister of Music