Bells of Glocken
Designed for flexibility of teaching and staging, The Bells of Glocken is approximately 20 minutes long and is an inspired choice for children's choirs, Christian schools or Sunday schools. It is also great for multi-generational programs involving performers of all ages. With very simple narration and dialog, it features speaking and non-speaking roles for 7-10 people, though directors are encouraged to add dialog and characters as necessary.
The inspiration for this tale is a story titled "The Bell of Atri", which was written by the celebrated nineteenth century English children's author, James Baldwin (1841-1925). In Baldwin's story, the king of a small Italian town gives his people the bell of justice. After his death, the bell falls into disrepair, and the people quarrel ceaselessly until, finally, a noble but neglected horse saves the day! Adapting the bell concept, our story features four bells to represent the traditional Advent themes. When the Glocken people fall upon hard times, the bells mirror the messianic prophecy found in the book of Isaiah. (9: 2,6-7)