The Duquesne Christmas mystery

The piece stages a dramatized nativity on a steep hillside, opening with prophetic proclamations by Isaiah, Micah, and Hosea and following the journeys of Eastern kings guided by a star, the scheming of a paranoid ruler, and the angelic announcement to shepherds. Scenes interweave stage directions, choruses, and scriptural passages, portraying the flight of the Magi, the threatened slaughter decreed by the tyrant, and the angelic proclamation of the Saviour’s birth. The action culminates in a luminous manger tableau where shepherds, kings, and townspeople gather to adore the infant, emphasizing themes of prophecy fulfilled, communal worship, and the contrast between humility and worldly power.