The festival music drama as described here is a type of drama in which the entire congregation plays a role. It involves many of the traditional elements in a worship service, reordered so that their dramatic quality is realized. The central theme is always that of the life of Jesus Christ, which is presented in dramatic fashion to give believers an opportunity to celebrate Christ’s victory and to present the gospel narrative to unbelievers.
The festival drama is an innovative type of musical drama that enacts significant events in the life of Christ for the purpose of celebration and evangelism. Its unique characteristics are (1) the full participation of the congregation in a group role, and (2) the incorporation of many worship elements such as singing, Scripture reading, prayer, confession, and sermon.
In each festival music drama, Christ is the central character. All the dialogue and actions lead up to climactic moments of praise and celebration of who Jesus is and what he has done and continues to do for us. Festival music dramas may celebrate Christ’s birth, his death, and resurrection, and can also celebrate his adoration by the magi, his baptism and temptation, his transfiguration, his Holy Week descent into grief and suffering, his ascension, and his second coming.
The festival music drama is designed not only to celebrate Jesus but to be an evangelistic outreach. While participating Christians are celebrating Jesus, the nonbelievers in attendance will see and hear the joyful sound of Christians’ acclamations and singing. The nonbeliever will also witness the story of Christ’s love and salvation. After each presentation, he or she will be given an opportunity to respond to what has been witnessed.
The first distinctive characteristic of the festival drama is that it is participation-oriented, not performance-oriented. The congregation becomes actively involved in the story since it is given the role of shepherds/shepherdesses, villagers, servants, or worshipers in the temple. From beginning to end, the congregation sings and dialogues, most often during a worship action. It also participates in processions, pilgrimages, or other journeys. Its members perform many other simple rituals such as carrying candles or offering gifts. It also participates by receiving or giving symbols or central images.
Also, unique to the festival music drama is the use of stages or stations throughout the church, such as the aisles, the right and left sides of the sanctuary, or church hall. In this way, it resembles a pageant.
The festival music drama is as musical as it is dramatic. Throughout the presentation, various types of congregational, responsorial, antiphonal, and choral music occur. While choirs are used in the festival music drama, they are given a dramatic role; they never sing to the congregation, but with it or during a congregational action.
A second distinguishing facet of the festival music drama is its inclusion of worship elements, such as the call to worship, sometimes a confession, prayers, reading or recitations of the Scriptures, and also a sermon. These worship elements are part of the storyline and may not be clearly identified since they are reframed into a dramatic framework. A lead character is also a worship leader. He or she “directs” the congregation in much the same way a pastor or music minister directs a congregation. While the festival music drama is not designed to be a worship service, it could be considered a celebration service.
The concept of the festival music drama is based upon the celebration of the three pilgrim festivals found in the Old Testament: the Feast of Passover, Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Three times a year the Israelites went to Jerusalem for one or two weeks to observe these feast days. While the Bible does not clearly indicate all the types of services and celebrative activities that took place, other sources do indicate that there were elaborate ceremonies and several celebrative events.
One such event might have been some form of dramatic enactment. During each festival, a “festival scroll” was read. These included such biblical books as the Song of Solomon, Esther, and Ruth. These narratives were read by one priest, but other priests may have made certain movements acting out what was being read.
The festival music drama has also a historical antecedent in the medieval liturgical drama. Originally short dramatic scenes or tropes were sung before the Mass. However these tropes became too dramatic, so they were expelled from use. They developed into full-length music dramas that had several liturgical elements.
Christmas and Easter are the two primary festivals; however, the celebration of Christ’s second advent and final establishment of his kingdom on earth has the potential of becoming a third major festival. This festival is already found in the Lutheran and Catholic churches. There is a strong biblical exhortation for all believers to look forward to Christ’s return. The festival music drama is one way the Christian church can celebrate this future glorious day. The model used to demonstrate the festival music drama is based upon the Feast of Christ the King, since it not only shows the what and how of this musical drama, but will give an idea of how this day can be celebrated.
This participatory festive music drama is offered as another way for the Christian community to joyfully celebrate the greatest events in history. At the same time, it will be a witness of the gospel to unbelievers.