Richard Allain: Manger Tom (Score/CD): Voix Hautes et Piano/Orgue

A delightful Christmas cantata for children’s voices (and ensemble/electronic backing tracks), with or without narrator: reggae, jazz, rock ballad and pop numbers to witty text by Richard and Thomas Allain.

Caesarhas called a census in the Holy Land. So everyone is crowding back into Bethlehem, a town where they read Shalom! Magazine, where suddenly there are donkey traffic gridlocks and hotels where you can't get a room for loveor shekels.

Tom works doing odd jobs at the Fun Big Inn, which isn't much fun at all. This busy night, he decides to leave the landlord in the lurch and head for the bright lights of Jerusalem. But he doesn't getfar,runningfirst into reggae singing shepherds and then three groovy wise dudes following a star. Tom can hardly ignore the remarkable things they have to tell him. So what does he do next? What would any of us do?

Richard and ThomasAllain retell the story of the Nativity in a new and individual way, with immediacy and wit, in a string of unforgettable tuneful songs and sharply clever words in an idiom accessible to everyone.

Manger Tom can beperformed with unison voices, someone to narrate, highly effective with just Piano or Keyboard accompaniment. But there are parts available too, for instruments you might want to add. Included with the score of Manger Tomis a CD which comprises of a full performance of the musical numbers by professional singers and players, as well as just the accompaniments for everyone to sing along to, if they prefer.

Review from Andrew Stewart ofClassroom Music says: 'Manger Tom manages to squeeze within the space of eight numbers everything from big-band and rock numbers to reggae and, in ‘Star of the