going on a journey nativity song

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SOUNDTRACK AVAILABLE NOW

You will have a song in your heart this Christmas after you see JOURNEY TO BETHLEHEM . The movie Soundtrack is available now wherever you listen to music. The deluxe album, including the score, is available November 24.

• Come, O Come, Emmanuel (with Daniela Riveri)
• Journey To Bethlehem (with The JTB Choir)
• Mary’s Getting Married (with Fiona Palomo, Mōriah, Stephanie Gil, & The JTB Choir)
• Good To Be King (with Antonio Banderas & Joel Smallbone)
• Can We Make This Work (with Fiona Palomo & Milo Manheim)
• Mother To A Savior And King (with Fiona Palomo)
• The Ultimate Deception (with Milo Manheim)
• Three Wise Guys (with Omid Djalili, Rizwan Manji, & Geno Segers)
• We Become We (with Fiona Palomo & Milo Manheim)
• In My Blood (with Joel Smallbone)
• The Nativity Song (with Zoe Arnau, Lecrae, Fiona Palomo, Fran Llorens, Geno Segers, Rizwan Manji, Omid Djalili, & The JTB Choir)
• Brand New Life (with Steven Curtis Chapman & feat. We The Kingdom)

"CAN WE MAKE THIS WORK"

Now available as a single. WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO

"BRAND NEW LIFE"

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The Nativity Song (feat. Lecrae)

The cast of journey to bethlehem, zoe arnau, fiona palomo, fran llorens, geno segers, rizwan manji, omid djalili & the jtb choir.

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Going On A Journey

Stephanie reynolds.

I’m going on a journey down a narrow bumpy road Going on a journey so that I can learn and grow Reaching far and wide, an adventure I will find And it’s so great, having Jesus by my side

I’ll be stretched so tall I might wobble but I won’t fall In circles, up and down and round the bend Step by step, not much longer For I know I’m getting stronger And it’s so great having Jesus as my friend

I’m going on a journey and I’m heading outward bound Going on a journey over new and shaky ground Not on sinking sand but on solid rock I’ll stand And it’s so great having Jesus hold my hand

I’m going on a journey to discover and explore Going on a journey cos it’s fun to see some more Such an awesome sight, when I reach the highest height And it’s so great having Jesus in my life

Written by: Stephanie Reynolds

[c] Vineyard Songs (UK/Eire)

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'Journey to Bethlehem' Puts the Nativity Story (More or Less) to Music

If you want a faithful retelling of the Biblical Nativity story,  Journey to Bethlehem  is not for you. But, director Adam Anders says that it may be for those believers willing to suspend disbelief, or even for unbelievers.

What Is  Journey to Bethlehem ?

Hitting theaters on Nov. 10,   Journey to Bethlehem   is the second swing at the Nativity from Affirm Films, the faith-based arm of Sony Pictures. The first was the animated feature   The Star   in 2017 (I wrote about it   here ). Directed by Catholic (and friend of FTP) Tim Reckart, it told the story from the point of view of the animals, particularly Mary’s donkey.

Journey to Bethlehem   is a live-action, full-on musical, with songs and dance numbers. The donkey is still there, but this time, we’re focusing on the flirty love story of Mary and Joseph.

I did a video interview with director Adam Anders — also a co-writer (with Peter Barsocchini), and co-composer (with wife Nikki Anders and Peer Astrom) — and he said he wanted to bring a Bible storybook from his childhood to life.

There's so many Christmas movies and musicals for kids that are beautiful, vibrant, amazing movies, really colorful and fun and funny, but they're not about what actually Christmas is about. And so that was my goal is how do I make this movie for the entire family, colorful, vibrant, my storybook Bible come to life. I like to say when I was a kid, I would flip the pages. I'd keep reading like, this is so cool. Look at these beautiful pictures and the animals and the color and the vibrance, and too many biblical movies usually are more somber.

That Flirty Love Story

Without giving everything away, the relationship between Mary and Joseph plays out more like a standard movie romance. Girl unhappy at being betrothed meets a cute guy in the market -- he's unhappy at being betrothed -- and there's a flirtation between the two (who don't realize they're betrothed to each other).

Fun in a movie, but tricky in this situation -- especially since Anders is a non-Catholic Christian, and they almost uniformly hold that Mary and Joseph had more children. So, while Catholics believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, for Anders, the idea of romance between Mary and Joseph is not necessarily a problem.

Anders said:

It was so clear to me when I got this vision for this movie, that we have the original Romeo and Juliet here. If you want to make a family movie, there's certain ingredients. You need a love story. Well, what greater love story? And the fact that Joseph stayed with her, that he took her stain upon him, and he stayed with her through this whole thing ... that's an incredible story that nobody really talks about. What a beautiful love story.

The Thing With Herod's Son

The antagonists in Journey to Bethlehem are King Herod (an eyeliner-wearing Antonio Banderas, chewing scenery for all he’s worth) and his conflicted eldest son, Herod Antipater (For King & Country band member Joel Smallbone) — who is NOT Herod Antipas, that guy who cut off John the Baptist’s head. That’s one of Herod’s younger sons.

Frankly, I didn’t quite get the distinction between Herod Antipater vs. Herod Antipas while watching.

Says Anders:

I went with Herod's firstborn son, Antipater, not Antipas. ... What I was trying to find was a character that could be all of us looking for meaning, and the Gospel story played out through one character. Historically, Antipater was his firstborn son, and Herod killed him the same year Jesus was born, for trying to overthrow his father. He thought he was unfit to rule. And if you know history, Herod goes insane. And he orders the Massacre of the Innocents and does crazy stuff. ... Antipas is not redeemable. I don't want to give away too much, but it was important for me to have this character that has this arc that's kind of all of us

Then There Are a Couple of Apparent Mary Omissions

Along with the Herod thing, I also missed a couple of major moments in Mary’s story — most notably her fiat.  So, I asked about that.

As for the fiat, Anders said:

Well, I did try. Look, all movies go through many iterations, and you have to tell the best version of the story in this framework and the time that you have. As far as Mary responding to Gabriel, I just dragged it out. Her song is that moment, and I needed that to be a song. So that song is this powerful moment where she's standing. I don't want to give it away, too, but when she's there, she's saying, OK, I'm up for this. I'm going to do it. And instead of just in one moment, boom, in a musical and in a moment, that's too big a moment to not have a song to it. So I drag it out a little bit, and I just imagined, well, what if she just took a beat to process all this?

How Much Biblical Fidelity Do You Want in a Musical?

On the other hand, as Anders says, it’s a musical. People have been arguing since 1970 about the depiction of Judas in   Jesus Christ Superstar , but it still remains a compelling version of one of the Gospels (and the songs were great).

The music in   Journey to Bethlehem   is catchy and pretty good, and the depiction of the Wise Men is genuinely funny. The theological issues will go over kids’ heads. But, if the screening audience I was with is any measure, youngsters will likely be engaged.

So, Catholics — especially parents — are going to have to decide whether they’re willing to sacrifice Biblical authenticity for Christmas-themed entertainment that doesn’t, for once, focus on Santa Claus, elves and presents (or merely use the holiday as backdrop for a rom-com).

Here’s my full interview with Anders, in which we discuss even more:

Image:  © 2023 AFFIRM Films A Sony Company

Kate O’Hare, a  longtime entertainment journalist , is Social Media Content Manager at Family Theater Productions.

Keep up with Family Theater Productions on   Facebook,  Twitter, I nstagram  and  YouTube .

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Journey to Bethlehem Soundtrack (2023)

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IMDB: Journey to Bethlehem

Adam Anders

Nikki anders, peer astrom.

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'Journey to Bethlehem' Stars Deliver Powerful 'Nativity Song' (Exclusive Clip)

'Journey to Bethlehem' features Milo Manheim and Fiona Palomo as Joseph and Mary.

By Brian Jones - December 8, 2023 11:00 am EST

Journey to Bethlehem is out in theatres and digital now and is being well-received by critics and fans. PopCulture.com obtained an exclusive clip from the flim, and it shows the cast performing the "Nativity Song." The clip shows Mary (Fiona Palomo) giving birth to Jesus Christ and the three wise men bless the child.

As the synopsis states, Journey to Bethlehem "is a story about a young woman carrying an unimaginable responsibility. A young man torn between love and honor. A jealous king who will stop at nothing to keep his crown. This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told, the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. A unique new entry into the collection of holiday classic movies, this epic Christmas musical is unlike any before it."

Palomo stars in the film with Milo Manheim , Antonio Banderas, Joel Smallbone, Moriah Smallbone, Stephanie Gil, Lecrae, Rizwan Manji, Geno Segers, and Omid Djalili. PopCulture.com spoke to Palomo and Manheim  about Journey to Bethlehem, and they talked about playing Mary and Joseph in the movie. 

"I did a lot of research. I went through those films, through other incredible actresses who have played Mary before," Palomo said. "And then I think the rest was just up to the script I had and was working with, as well as the vertigo of knowing that it was up to me to create this particular Mary. And it was very easy to fall in love with and understand as a human being that went through something enormous. Yeah, so it was just a lot of homework, of putting her together as a person, as a tangible human being."  

"It was interesting to explore," Manheim said. "There's less Joseph than I thought in the Bible and in these scriptures and whatnot, so I didn't have as much as I thought I would to work on. ...I was really curious to learn and serve this story, like I want to do with everything I do, and I know that this is a particularly important one. So the research was extensive to make sure that I did not fail him. But what I ended up finding was that I really couldn't, because he is a human being and he's just trying his best. And the thing I wanted to really shine through was that he becomes a man through this journey because of Mary. And I think I did it."  

• 'Journey to Bethlehem': Joel and Moriah Smallbone on How Film Has 'Color and Flair' (Exclusive)
• Prime Video Reveals Collection of Holiday Movies Streaming This December
• Every TV Show, Movie, and Original Coming to Netflix This Week (Dec. 4)

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Nativity in Song

An hour of sacred music of the Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Nativity. This music has united Christians across the continents and brought families and church communities together.

NATIVITY IN SONG

On A Journey - Single Song

By: Mark, Helen & Naomi Johnson

Brightening up a long journey with some music, the Wise Men sing their way to Bethlehem as they follow the star.

Part of the nativity   It's A Miracle!

View our paper nativity craft videos here.

• Lyrics Free
• Music Score £1.99
• Backing Track £1.99
• Craft Video MP4 £2.99

MP3, Lyrics & Music Score

Packed with vigour, humour and a medley of infectious songs, Hey Ewe! is a straightforward but original nativity play told from the perspective of a curious sheep. Now available with Words on Screen™.

An Annual Performance Licence is required to perform this title. For more information, please click here .

About Hey Ewe!

• From the same author as our brand-new nativity Baubles!
• Suitable for a small cast of just 15 or a whole-school production
• Simple, easy to learn script that is ideal for 4-8 year olds

Other Recommended Titles

Prickly Hay

Mary Cliff and Kelly Fort

It’s A Cracker!

Mark and Helen Johnson

The Landlord's Cat

Julia and Antony Copus

A Midwife Crisis

Gaynor Boddy and Rebecca Kincaid

Mary Green and Julie Stanley

View sample script

An editable script is available for this product when you purchase a package that includes an eSongbook.

View cast list (PDF 29.8KB)

There are 12 speaking parts in this play and this is the least number of performers that are needed.

Whole school: Have as many townspeople, sheep, shepherds and angels as you like.

23 minutes approx.

Song 2: Something's Going On - solo for the Curious Sheep

Song 6: Gospel Angels - two parts for the last verse

Licence Information

Annual Performance Licence Information - What You Need To Know

• A current Annual Performance Licence is required to perform a musical or nativity to an audience (other than to pupils & staff), including an online audience, and irrespective of whether admission charges are made.
• It is more cost effective to purchase an Annual Performance Licence as part of a complete product pack .

An Annual Performance Licence covers any number of performances of a particular musical or nativity within 12 months of the date of ordering. A separate Annual Performance Licence is required for each product title.

• To renew your Annual Peformance Licence, log into your account if you have one and go to your My Licences section.

Find out more about what your Annual Performance Licence will legally cover you to do . All of our eSongbooks come with a Single User Licence

• This means you can install our Words on Screen™ software onto ONE computer only, or it can be streamed by a single user.
• If you would like to install this software onto your network server and/or two or more computers, or allow multiple users to stream Words on Screen™ songs, this will be covered by your Annual Performance Licence which includes extended digital rights. For more information, click here .

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The following items are available for this product:

Teacher's Book

• Character list
• Script with staging directions throughout
• Music score and song lyric sheets for 7 songs (Piano music score, melody and chords)
• Licence and copyright details
• Vocal tracks sung by children
• Professional backing tracks

Words on Screen™ eSongbook

• An online Words on Screen™ product to stream or download
• Extractable MP3s, printable lyrics, scores, scripts, & additional resources
• Words on Screen™ versions of songs so that you can display song lyrics on any whiteboard, computer screen, television or interactive touchscreen. The lyrics synchronize with the music as it plays making them easy to teach and easy to learn
• Flexibility to create an expandable library of Words on Screen™ song collections, nativities and musicals in your Out of the Ark online account
• Enhanced operation features including ‘double-click’ to hear and teach a single line
• Words on Screen™ user guide
• Single-User licence (Please note a Performance Licence is still required to perform this musical)
• Licence & copyright details

Annual Performance Licence

Find out more about what your Annual Performance Licence will legally cover you to do .

Rehearsal CDs

• Available in packs of 5, 10 or 20

I loved doing this

I did this play at school it was so much fun and my favourite song is hey you!

Our Sunday school children did this for a nativity as part of the carol service this year. It was brilliant. The adults loved the songs as much as the kids did!

A brilliant play

This is an excellent nativity play - the songs are catchy, the play is witty and there is plenty of room to make it your own. It was the first time I did a nativity last year - and it was a roaring success! I had a year 1/2 class and they loved singing and performing it. The parents said - the were all enjoying whatever it was they were doing. Love it!

A Tremendous Success!

Our reception and pre school children performed, 'Hey Ewe!' as their Christmas production to parents. It was a tremendous success, thanks mainly to your brilliant songs, script and production notes. It was perfectly suited to our age group and a delight to rehearse and perform.

Brilliant fun

We used Hey Ewe last year with Years 1 - 3. It was a brilliant play and the songs were catchy, funny and highly entertaining. As a church school it was important that the true meaning of Christmas was conveyed. Hey Ewe does this in style.

my class adored this play and the songs are rocking!!

This is a truly wonderful christmas play with superb catchy songs. My only criticism of the out of the ark plays is the challenge for the teacher of finding a part for all the children to play.

We did it last year with Infants. It stole the show! The songs are very catchy and the children are still singing them...as am I!

I love Hey Ewe!nIt is awesome. Our school are doing it as our Christmas play! nIt is spectacular!

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Journey to Bethlehem

This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the ... Read all This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus. This live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family weaves classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs in a retelling of the greatest story ever told: the story of Mary and Joseph and the birth of Jesus.

• Adam Anders
• Peter Barsocchini
• Fiona Palomo
• Milo Manheim
• Antonio Banderas
• 79 User reviews
• 23 Critic reviews

• (as María Pau Pigem)

• (as Yael Belicha)
• (as Jose María Rueda)

• (as Pedro Aijhon)
• Young Sheperd Girl
• (as Zoe Arnau)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia One of a handful of smallish budget films made by Affirm Films that Sony Pictures distributed that have strong Christian or moral themes. Although Sony knew that none of them were going to be blockbuster hits, they also recognized that they would tap into an element of Western society that would help promote the film within their sphere of influence and gain a loyal audience as well as encourage discussion. Sony decided on this approach after they regretted turning down the chance to distribute 'The Way' back in 2010, a low-budget film about a spiritual journey undertaken by a grieving father (Martin Sheen) that was eventually given a release through independent distributors and went on to receive good reviews and proved a favorite among many communities.

Joseph : [to the obstinate donkey] Don't be such an a-

[rest of the word drowned out by donkey braying]

• Connections Referenced in Nerdrotic: Woke Hollywood Instant Regret! The Strikes Have Been a DISASTER (2023)
• Soundtracks O Come, O Come, Emmanuel Performed by Daniela Riveri Arranged by Adam Anders , Nikki Anders , & Peer Astrom Produced by Adam Anders & Peer Astrom

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 39 minutes

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‘Journey to Bethlehem’: Despite Moments of Light, Nativity Musical Is Rough Ride

New film takes many detours from the real route, dropping this and adding that, for dramatic and comic effect.

Joseph Pronechen, November 10, 2023 – National Catholic Register

The journey to Bethlehem from Nazareth was not the smoothest trip for St. Joseph and Mary. In several ways, the new musical film  Journey to Bethlehem  is not always the smoothest either, despite the filmmakers’ disclaimer: “While taking some creative license, the filmmakers strived to remain true to the message of the Greatest Story Ever Told.” This story of the Nativity is the project of Affirm Films, which has made faith-based and inspirational movies like  Fireproof ,  Paul: Apostle of Christ  and  Heaven Is for Real .

Despite good intentions regarding bringing the Nativity tale to life, there are many detours from the real route, dropping this and adding that, for dramatic and comic effect. Yes, that’s right: comic effect, including using St. Gabriel, who has to practice his lines to make sure he gets his message right and is rather clumsy at first, for laughs. Add to this the running comic relief of the three Wise Men and their straight-out-of-Broadway  Three Wise Guys  number.

Similar show tunes mixed with pop music move the story along. Twelve new ones were written by award-winning Adam Anders, Nikki Anders and Peer Astrom. Among their many award-winning credits is  High School Musical . Anders directed the new film as well.

Missing the Marian Mark

The first major song, called  Mary’s Getting Married , is a lively production number that showcases Mary and her two sisters on a shopping trip as the whole village sings and dances to convince her to get married. But an unhappy Mary sings, “Maybe married means that I’m kissing all my dreams goodbye” and lists what awaits her: “keeping house and making babies, going shopping, all the chores.”

Minutes before this song, the audience meets Mary (played by Fiona Palomo) for the first time as uncomfortable onlookers during a discussion between her and her father, Joachim. She tells him that she wants to be a teacher like him. Remember your biblical history here: Teachers then were male-only rabbis. He says she has to get married; it’s tradition. She answers that he is responsible for her dreams, having “put these crazy ideas in my head by having me study the Scriptures day after day.” Although she eventually concedes and obeys — “As you wish, Father” — this is a most unbelievable portrayal of Mary.

The audience meets Joseph (Milo Manheim) when Mary goes to the market and accidentally, and predictably, meets him for the first time, not knowing her father has just made arrangements for their betrothal; nor does he know who she is. Not to spoil the plot, but the scene unfolds right out of the typical movie-land playbook, as they predictably don’t hit things off with each other.

Then, at their betrothal, with some music heavy with a contemporary beat, neither is happy as they later sing a duet called  This Will Never Work . Joseph expresses how he is also not fully happy because he had dreams, too, singing that “this wasn’t in my plans either. I’m an inventor. I’m coming up with ideas that could change the world, but my father said, ‘You’re getting married, son.’” Again, Hollywood’s journey is not the real Joseph’s journey. What happened to being a good carpenter for the patron saint of carpenters?

Again, the music and lyrics are contemporary show tunes. Can we accept a Mary who sings, “It’s hard to have faith?” But Joseph sings, “We don’t understand … could be a part of God’s plan.” Full of doubts, both continue, “Can we make this work?”

This is a non-biblical depiction of Mary so far. It is only later, when she visits her cousin Elizabeth, that there begins a bit of softening to her character. Later, she becomes more believable, with the birth of Jesus. By then, the movie is nearly over.

Not so incidentally, in many respects, this familial visit misses the mark as it strays far from Luke. Elizabeth’s revelatory greeting to Mary (Luke 1) has gone by the wayside, and Mary never proclaims a word from her answer to Elizabeth — where is her  Magnificat ? If ever there was a place in a musical version of the Nativity story for a major song, this is it.

Instead, there is Herod’s son (Joel Smallbone) and soldiers, already searching for an unwed woman who is expecting a child. The chronology is mixed up, not to mention the loose and invented facts, all for intended dramatic effect.

Viewer, Beware

Herod, played by Antonio Banderas, is exceptionally evil-looking and egomaniacal. He and a chorus sing  It’s Good to Be King  about how wicked he is while the soldiers do a bit of robotic contemporary choreography. While it is likely the filmmakers might have meant one section of the lyrics to reflect Herod’s mania, the lines also dangerously border on the blasphemous, as he uses in reference to himself the inclusion of the sung ending of the Our Father: “the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.”

For dramatic contrast or not, much too much time is spent on Herod in various scenes, including the comic-relief  Three Wise Guys . The song focuses on the Three Kings giving Herod gifts of myrrh, frankincense and gold, as some lyrics, sounding like Handel’s  Messiah , say he will reign forever and ever. Maybe the filmmakers were going for irony, but, at best, it’s in exceptionally poor taste.

The recurring appearances of the Wise Men see them on the way to Bethlehem well before Mary is married, and, later, they arrive at the stable minutes after the birth of Jesus, while the shepherds never show up.

The trio is half-serious, half-comic, especially Melchior, who is always intent on eating fine foods.

And then there’s the treatment of Joseph’s dream, turned into another Broadway-style musical production number with a large cast, as Mary appears to be on trial. On a smaller scale comes a lovely song where the newlyweds dance at their small, private wedding, surrounded by hundreds of pinpoint starlights.

Moving Moments

One thing the film gets right is having Joseph and Mary around the same age, with Joseph just slightly older than his betrothed, not portrayed as an old man. Here, he sings, “I can never choose to learn to love another,” while, unbelievably, Mary adds, “Maybe one day I could learn to love you too.”

Not to leave anyone or anything out in this playbook moviemaking, even the donkey gets to save Mary at a critical moment.

And in the big scene in the stable, Joseph readies the manger, and at the birth of Jesus, the exceptional effects fit the time and scene in a moving manner. Here, used properly and sung by the Three Kings is the verse: “Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever.” In a sweet lullaby, Mary sings, “Now I understand the words you told me. I’m holding all the answer in my arms; looking down upon this brand-new life, I see Emmanuel, a Savior and King.” Palomo shines at this moment, as she does in the next, when, in this telling, it is not the angel who saves the Holy Family and directs them to leave for safety. But this scene does make a dramatic point about character and the way even the newborn Jesus immediately affected others, as Jesus has affected countless souls over the centuries. It is indeed a moving scene. And there is a final homey vignette of the Holy Family at the end.

The film may miss the mark throughout, but the words of Mary’s mother, Anne, come to be fulfilled: “Sometimes God’s plans for us are even bigger than we can imagine.”

This movie is rated PG for thematic elements.

WRITER’S NOTE

The filmmakers created  short study guides  for families, for adults/teens and for children. They include the passages from the Gospel (except for Mary’s  Magnificat!),  other biblical references, and thoughtful study questions about how these events and Jesus’ coming relate to each one’s life. In this regard, seeing  Journey to Bethlehem  can and should lead at least some people back to the original sources to learn more about Jesus, Mary, Joseph and the beginning of the story of our salvation.

Joseph Pronechen is staff writer with the National Catholic Register  since 2005 and before that a regular correspondent for the paper. His articles have appeared in a number of national publications including  Columbia  magazine,  Soul ,  Faith and Family ,  Catholic Digest ,  Catholic Exchange , and  Marian Helper . His religion features have also appeared in  Fairfield County Catholic  and in major newspapers. He is the author of  Fruits of Fatima — Century of Signs and Wonders . He holds a graduate degree and formerly taught English and courses in film study that he developed at a Catholic high school in Connecticut. Joseph and his wife Mary reside on the East Coast.

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Donkey On A Journey

by Ruth Kenward & Caroline Kimber 

7 to 10 yrs  -  KS2  -  unison  -  (2m 24s)

Download includes:  piano-vocal score, lyrics sheet, mp3 demo & backing tracks

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Theme   –  Nativity, Mary rides a donkey from Galilee to Bethlehem, Christmas

Content   –  a very hooky donkey song that is always popular with this age group, because the lyrics tell the story so vividly, the melody is so catchy and the backing arrangement is so appealing.  This song also refers to the old legend of animals kneeling down in the stable to honour Jesus’ birth.  There's an easy and attractive key change half way through the song, with a simple one-note link to help singers move confidently into the new key.

Lyrics sample

Donkey on a journey,

Got to carry Mary

From Galilee to Bethlehem.

Got to keep on going,

Plodding through the desert,

Feeling very thirsty

Underneath the midday sun.

Though he trips and stumbles,

Donkey never grumbles,

From Galilee to Bethlehem. 

‘Donkey On A Journey’ is taken from the Nativity musical ‘A Way In A Manger’

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Nativity Story Gets Musical Makeover in Upcoming Sony AFFIRM Film Featuring All-Star Cast

One of the greatest stories ever told is getting a musical makeover this holiday season courtesy of AFFIRM Films, a Sony Company.

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“ Journey to Bethlehem ” retells the story of Mary, Joseph and the birth of Jesus as a live-action Christmas musical adventure for the entire family, weaving classic Christmas melodies with humor, faith, and new pop songs. And it just so happens to star one of our favorite Christian singers-turned-actors… Joel Smallbone of the Christian band, For King and Country!

“This is the story that turned B.C. to A.D,” Smallbone said in a recent interview about why this film is such a big deal. “Everything changed with the birth of Jesus.”

Smallbone plays the notorious King Herod’s son in the film, Antipater, and noted that the musical direction of “Journey to Bethlehem” is a nod to one of the Gospel’s most theatrical moments. 

“The nativity story is sort of a musical at the heart of it,” he explained. “These angels show up and they're singing to the shepherds.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’ – Luke 2:13-14 (NIV)

But Joel may have never been a part of “Journey to Bethlehem” if it wasn’t for his wife, Mōriah. She was cast in the film first (she plays Mary’s sister), and it wasn’t until weeks later that they called Joel, who described it as a “ mysterious and magical turn of events.”

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Joel Smallbone (@joelsmallbone)

But the Smallbones aren’t the only ones putting their musical chops to work in “Journey to Bethlehem.” The film also stars rapper Lecrae as the angel Gabriel, Milo Manheim as Joseph, Fiona Palomo as Mary, and Academy Award nominee Antonio Banderas as King Herod.

“Journey to Bethlehem" hits theaters November 10 and is sure to brighten your spirits and jumpstart your holiday joy.

AFFIRM has also been behind some of our most popular titles here at Great American Pure Flix over the last couple of years. While you wait, be sure to stream some of these incredible movies and series, including " Sun Moon ", " Legacy Peak ," " Moonrise ," " 5000 Blankets " and all six episodes of Karen Kingsbury's " A Thousand Tomorrows . "

You can also watch Joel Smallbone in " Like a Country Song " and " The Book of Esther " right here on Great American Pure Flix! Not a member? Get a free 7-day trial now .

Photo Credit: YouTube

Marissa Mayer

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