Originally designed as a radio production, can be performed as a dramatic reading with live orchestra.
GRADUALLY FADING IN, DISTANT SOUNDS OF ORCHESTRA TUNING.
RAPHAELLA
Wonderful! URIEL, we’re not too late, come and listen! Oh, I do love this part of the entire experience. The orchestra tuning, warming…
…acclimating mouthpiece to mouth…
…ah, wood to wind, wind to wood…
…the delicate whisper of fingertip embracing glistening fret…
….strings plucky, strings sweet --
URIEL
Yes, yes, and I especially like all the honking, the squawking, the tweeting, hooting and blurting blonking BLASTING -- !
RAPHAELLA
URIEL! Such cacophonous descriptors! To me this gentle practice -- this inhalation . . . before the melodious whisper -- it is more akin to tinkling chimes . . . babbling brooks . . . yes, and giggling breezes…
URIEL
Tinkling? Babbling? GIGGLING? Raphaella, my dear, dear sister Rappy. I think you must have this band of merry musical instruments confused with the wine-tasting going on just down and across the street!
RAPHAELLA
Very funny, Uri. Now shhhhh, I want to hear the tuning of the violins…
SOUNDS OF VIOLINS TUNING.
URIEL
Oooh, you mean the stringnecks. I, too, love the stringnecks. I once practiced the oversized stringneck for 32 phases of the moon, ruminating King David’s Psalms in the style of Mozart, but you know, I never could quite equal Gabriel’s stringnecking, now that angel can really stringneck --
RAPHAELLA
Uri, here on the Earth the stringnecks are referred to as violins, and see there . . . the larger version of the stringneck, er, violin, close by? That is a cello.
URIEL
I seem to remember that there was a television commercial regarding the significance of cello…
RAPHAELLA
I would not know, my friend, as I stay away from the flickering blue box and its subtle mesmerism.
URIEL
There is . . . always . . . room for cello? I think that’s how it went. YES! There is always room for cello!
RAPHAELLA
Now, Uri, even I know that is “JELLO” . . . oh, okay, I see, you were making another FEEBLE joke, weren’t you?
URIEL
Well, Rappy, we have to keep on our toes, y’know? Can’t let the grimness of the neighborhood get ya down. And this place is Grim with a capital G. Ahh, Rappy, see, now THAT is the morning star I know -- what a truly angelic smile!
RAPHAELLA
Yes, Uri, you are a very angelic fellow yourself. Oh but goody, the lowly creatures are ready to create a joyful noise unto the Lord!
URIEL
Want to hear something neat? I think this is a true reflection of nature -- whether or not it is intentional, well, that is beside the point. Now, listen, to . . . THIS…
LOUD BRAYING SAXOPHONE HONK -- SOUNDING QUITE SIMILAR TO A DUCK QUACKING, REPEATING SEVERAL TIMES.
RAPHAELLA
URI! That is enough of THAT. Come out of that horn, this very instant!
GOOD-NATURED LAUGHTER FROM THE BAND.
URIEL
Wasn’t that exquisite? I love them THAR nature calls. And see how the lowly creatures smile? It makes me feel so very close to them when they make their peculiar, special music: laughter.
RAPHAELLA
I appreciate their laughter as well, but let’s try to make certain we don’t aid in directing that laughter at specific individuals, specifically, in this case, that poor tenor saxophonist you just goosed! See? How do you like it, you angelic bully!
URIEL
OUCH! Not the big feathers, Sister Raphaella! Can’t you stick with the downy stuff when you go to reprimand me? Oh great, yeah, that’s just beautiful, now look what you did, Rappy! That little flutist sees my poor feather drifting down. Now we’re going to get slammed with another 100 or so "angels among us” books -- I can almost hear the title: “An Angel Feather Landed on my Flute!”
RAPHAELLA
Knowing you, Uriel, you’ll probably offer to pose for the cover! Hmmm, she IS, watching it drift down, at that. Well, let’s just see if we can aid the Almighty in turning a bad situation into a good one. Now listen to this, dear Uri…
FLUTE NOTES, TENTATIVE, SHY, SOUNDING SOFT AT FIRST, BUT SUDDENLY TWIRLING INTO A MARVELOUS SONGBIRD TRILL, RISING LOUD AND SWEET, SWELLING PURELY FOR MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS. SLOWLY, MUSIC BEGINS TO FADE…
RAPHAELLA
See the smiles, Uriel? The lowly creatures don’t always reserve their special appreciation for duck quackings. The lighter trill of the songbird also lights up their eyes . . . see there, how their faces fill with light? Ah, yes, they are shining, Uri, shining like the morning stars, look Uriel, isn’t it beautiful? Quick now, Uri, grab your feather!
URIEL
Whoops, I got so caught up in your birdsong, I completely forgot the feather. Looks like the pianist caught it, full on the keyboard!
RAPHAELLA
Oooh, boy, we’re probably going to hear about this one at the top of the ladder!
PIANO KEYS COME ALIVE AS INSPIRATION QUICKENS THE FINGERS -- DRAMATIC, FLASHY AND BEAUTIFUL MELODY SWELLS (RACHMONINOFF, OR BEETHOVEN, OR CHOPIN, OR AN ECLECTIC MIX OF ALL AFOREMENTIONED).
RAPHAELLA
Did you get it? Whew. Pop it back into your wing before we get reprimanded!
URIEL
We better be careful about employing the divine inspiration, or pilgrims will be gathering here for years to come, looking for angels feathers. But I do get the point, Sis. And sure, I can appreciate a sweet trill, every now and then. But we gotta remember, our lowly creatures ain’t exactly angels, now, I mean, aren’t they a tad more like, well…
SHORT, LOUD AND BRASSY TRUMPET SOLO, OPENING PHRASE OF: “OH WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN!”
RAPHAELLA
Oh well (giggling), I must admit, Uriel, it is catchy. I love the idea of the saints marching in, and although we do not know when, we do know that it will be soon!
URIEL
Please soon! I know I’m ready for all this mess to be over and done with. And the lowly creatures are praying for that Great Day of the Lord, more than they ever have before!
RAPHAELLA
Amen, brother! Just think, soon we will be placing our wings about these wonderful ones, and they will look, and they will see us! Won’t it be wonderful, escorting these children into our heavenly home?
URIEL
Please soon! I know I’m ready for all this mess to be over and done with. And the lowly creatures are praying for that Great Day of the Lord, more than they ever have before!
RAPHAELLA
Yes, Praise the Lord! And as the Psalmist said: Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.
URIEL
How right you are, Rappy. And they ARE gathered here to praise Adonai Yahweh El Shaddai, so what do you think? Just once, together? In praise of Him?
RAPHAELLA
Well, maybe, but remember, let’s not overdue it! You take the woodwinds and the brass, and I’ll move through the strings!
URIEL
Whoa boy! Hold on to your feathers!
REFRAIN FROM THE HALLELUJAH CHORUS (OR A COMPLETE PRAISE SONG COULD BE PLAYED HERE, SWELLING, WITH GUSTO, IN PRAISE OF GOD, INSPIRED AND POWERFUL).
RAPHAELLA
That was beautiful, Brother Uriel. How I wish we could cross the barrier. Speak to them directly. Embrace them.
URIEL
I know what you mean, Sister Raphaella. But it will not be much longer. Praise God! Soon we will be introducing them to all the delights of our heavenly home.
RAPHAELLA
And until then, we will be here, ministering to our little brothers and sisters.
URIEL
Protecting them and guiding them.
RAPHAELLA
And as the Holy Spirit opens their hearts and their minds, they will become more sensitive to us.
URIEL
Warriors for the Savior. Yahshua the Messiah.
RAPHAELLA
Jesus Christ.
URIEL
Well, my friend. We had best head back to the ladder.
RAPHAELLA
Yes, but it has been wonderful. We will meet again soon, I hope?
URIEL
There’s a great barbershop quartet doing a praise session next Sabbath!
RAPHAELLA
Well . . . we will have to see about that one. You have a beautiful Sabbath, Uriel.
URIEL
And you, Sister Raphaella, may the Sabbath peace surround you and fill your wings with the breath of the Holy Spirit!
RAPHAELLA
And keep better track of your feathers, Uri!
URIEL
OUCH! Hey, get back here with that!
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Completely free Christian scripts, sketches, mimes.
Always a parable. Storytelling making the difference.
Soldier On. You were created on purpose.
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