Children of Dar-ul-Sukun spread Christmas cheer with song and dance
Young ones dress up as wise men, angels, shepherds and kings for the show.
KARACHI:
One of the first signs of the holiday season manifest themselves on Saturday evening as the children of Dar-ul-Sukun put up a colourful show for the audience.
Neither the drizzle nor cold winds could put a damper on the children’s spirits. They simply took no notice of the weather as they stood on the stage for half-an-hour, smiling and waving as they gently swayed to classic Christmas tunes.
On ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High,’ the first song of the night, children clad in bright red, yellow and blue gowns took the stage, ringing small bells they were clasping tightly. For five minutes, the performers kept moving in synchrony against a background that comprised snowflakes and a large snowman.
Other musical performances focused on the Nativity. Children dressed as shining angels in white gowns, kings in regal gowns, shepherds in modest clothing and a woman playing the Virgin Mary with a baby Jesus doll in her arms, appeared on the stage as ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ played in the background. Props were also used throughout the night. Bethlehem’s star was fixed in the middle of the stage and as it moved across, children emerged from behind it dressed as wise men. The audience burst into applause when this happened.
Backstage, Mani, who performed as a king, was getting ready for the last song of the night. “My dance is very good. I can’t wait for it,” said the excited boy. Cookie, the girl who hosted the show, said she was worried that something would go wrong and she feared she wouldn’t be able to announce the songs properly. But she was happy that the event went by without a hitch. “It was a great concert. We worked really hard.”
Sister Ruth Lewis, who is in charge of Dar-ul-Sukun, said that a concert is organised every year and is always proud of the children’s performances. Of the 200 children present at the orphanage, about 40 performed. Even some of the adults joined in.
“The children were very excited and had been preparing for a month. They don’t have families but whenever they see a crowd, they are happy.” Sr. Ruth said that such events were important for the children as they get excited when others come to see them. “They go to other events and feel happy seeing other children perform. They wait for their turn to see what they can do.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012.
One of the first signs of the holiday season manifest themselves on Saturday evening as the children of Dar-ul-Sukun put up a colourful show for the audience.
Neither the drizzle nor cold winds could put a damper on the children’s spirits. They simply took no notice of the weather as they stood on the stage for half-an-hour, smiling and waving as they gently swayed to classic Christmas tunes.
On ‘Ding Dong Merrily on High,’ the first song of the night, children clad in bright red, yellow and blue gowns took the stage, ringing small bells they were clasping tightly. For five minutes, the performers kept moving in synchrony against a background that comprised snowflakes and a large snowman.
Other musical performances focused on the Nativity. Children dressed as shining angels in white gowns, kings in regal gowns, shepherds in modest clothing and a woman playing the Virgin Mary with a baby Jesus doll in her arms, appeared on the stage as ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’ played in the background. Props were also used throughout the night. Bethlehem’s star was fixed in the middle of the stage and as it moved across, children emerged from behind it dressed as wise men. The audience burst into applause when this happened.
Backstage, Mani, who performed as a king, was getting ready for the last song of the night. “My dance is very good. I can’t wait for it,” said the excited boy. Cookie, the girl who hosted the show, said she was worried that something would go wrong and she feared she wouldn’t be able to announce the songs properly. But she was happy that the event went by without a hitch. “It was a great concert. We worked really hard.”
Sister Ruth Lewis, who is in charge of Dar-ul-Sukun, said that a concert is organised every year and is always proud of the children’s performances. Of the 200 children present at the orphanage, about 40 performed. Even some of the adults joined in.
“The children were very excited and had been preparing for a month. They don’t have families but whenever they see a crowd, they are happy.” Sr. Ruth said that such events were important for the children as they get excited when others come to see them. “They go to other events and feel happy seeing other children perform. They wait for their turn to see what they can do.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012.