"Northern Lights"
In creating the Caedmon Players' 14 th annual, multi-cultural holiday play, music specialist Jeremy Davidson was inspired by, of all things, the Civil War. Over the summer, he had read an historical account that captured his imagination: On a bleak December night in 1863, on the eve of a major battle between the North and the South, a magnificent display of Aurora Borealis appeared in the skies from Maine to the Carolinas. Mr. Davidson imagined opposing armies bivouacked on a cold night as the holiday season approaches, and then created a story that explores how the Northern Lights might have affected two enemy camps, one Union and one Rebel, separated by only five hundred feet of trees and meadow that would soon become their field of battle.
As officers, cooks, reporters, and foot soldiers from various backgrounds witness the celestial display, they each see within the lights images of their longed for holiday traditions: menorahs, New Year Dragons, drinking gourds of freedom, messengers from Allah, deepas, and heavenly hosts of angels. In each camp, they share traditional music and stories, and the songs and prayers they evoke reach out across the meadow to unite the two armies in an unexpected and miraculous way.
Ms. DeBye's Upper Level students expertly portrayed the Civil War soldiers, complete with Yankee lilt and Southern drawl. The rest of the elementary classes enacted the various holiday visions that emerged from the northern lights, once again making marvelous use of the ORFF and percussion instruments purchased by the Parents Auxiliary only a few years ago. All came together for the glorious finale, in which "Gloria, in Excelsis Deo" transformed into "Glory, Glory, Halleluiah, Our Light is Shining On!"
After The Caedmon Chorus sang an interlude of three songs, the second finale of the morning brought the entire Early Program onstage for the annual All-School Sing, during which tradition calls for every parent in the house to simultaneously "sneak" down to the front row to capture the perfect photo op.
All in all, it was a wonderful morning for the whole community. "Northern Lights" was a glorious addition to the growing repertoire of holiday celebrations, with which Caedmon annually celebrates its cultural richness and spiritual diversity. Congratulations to Mr. Davidson, the children, and all the supporting faculty and staff for helping our community bring in the holidays - all of them!
