The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 20, 1979 Page: 5 of 22
twenty two pages : ill. ; page 20 x 15 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Thursday December 20 1979 — The Albany News —PageS
Albany Nativity Tradition Begun 40 Years Ago
In 1939 With Robert E. Nail Original Production
Zealous volunteer.
Mrs Marz-q White spends he' spare ' Hie Tuesday afternoon working with wigs
and other hair pieces m prepa.'a'i^" to 'he 1980 Albany Nativity slated to begin
tonight December 20 at 7 00 p,m ' the oodi'c e h of the Nancy Smith Elemen
t-ary School Mrs White is also n charge of wardrobe and has completed several
new costuhies for this year s performance Staff Photo
by Els* M. Turner
As the current Christ
mas season rolled in, Al-
bany once again began
preparations for a cele
bration uncommon to
small Texas towns, the
presentation of the Nati
vity. The 1979 pert'or
mances come after a lapse
of three years, the last
Nativity being in 1976.
The "tradition began in
1939 with the late Robert
E. Nail Jr. production A-
with the Fort Griffin Fan
dangle, the playwright
proved to local people
that they could produce a
Christmas play of such
depth and beauty that it
would endure throughout
the years. Thirty-two
characters and a lamb
make up the cast uto
retell the story, much of it
in King James context; of
the Israelite remnant who
remained faithful to God
and persevered to hnng
forth the Messiah. Jesu-
('hrist, the Savior It
begins with primitive
man groping for his iden
t'ity. Gradually, as the
voice of God speaks to
him. he becomes aware of
his Creator. Background
music sung by an adult
choir reveals the reality
of God's search for man as
well as man's search for
God.
Nail's genius shines
through in his lines of
poetry filling in the speak
ing parts, of some, of the
characters King Herod,
for example, and his wife
Qu^en Elpis; also the
beautiful soliloquy of the
High Priest Lahuhim and
of the elderly shepherd
Abiram. The. fiery philo
sophy of t he beggar rob
her Pastah adds., sharp
contrast, as do..the rebel,
lious outbursts of the
shepherd lads Fsrom and
Jo r > m,; w ho. a re: i m p at i e n t
(or deli vera nc-. tr'um
Roman rule
The' drama .build* ami
builds into . the '. - um
phant hour of the birth of
the Babe of Bethlehem"
through the spoken word
of the Old Testament pro.
phets. quoted direct', v
from the Bihlt the advent,
of the Wise Men from the
Fast who follow th; Star;
and the voice of the Nar
rator telling the whole
story to its climax
Bright, happv and at
times sleepy' faces of
children singing carols
marks the joyful end of
the stor . istimates are
that in the 23 years of
presentation some 1500
Albany children have ap
pea red for a total of more
than 15,000 appearances
On three different years
the play was presented 13
times; on four years of
presentation 11 times
This year, a two night
schedule of four preset-,
tations', is the lowest ever
.Including backstage
workers, the total number
of townspeople involved
in. the Nativity in the pas!
10 years would be a stag
cering figure.
For many, people who
- e it. the. Albany Nati
\ ity is li vital part of their
vi. or.shtp at Christmas irhi;
ranks second only t
.church services This is a-
•.h.i author planned'it
reverent, impressive wa
>f observing the Adven
season, of involving some
2<H-t people in its produv
t.m.fi The finale, with, the
• cast surrounding the
■v anger scene with onh
the voice of the narrator
quoting'< vv4ords of Jesus
1 . «•'" 1 • '
Get On Board Now For The
ALBANY
CHAMBER
' ' i
—' J All
COMMERCE
CHRISTMAS
DRAWINGS
PARTICIPATING MERCHANTS
All Drawings
, Will Be Held
V At The
Bank Park
it 3:00 PM
DECEMBER 22
Quo Prize Of $500
One Prize Of $100
One Prize Of $50
Ten Prizes Of $10
%
/v
Albany Auto
Albany floweo & Gifts
Th« Albany New >
BIB Boauty Bar
Bill i Dollar Stor*
City Groctry I Market
Clonic Beauty Salon
Collection Beauty Salon
Dairy Queen
Oeen t Chevron
(dine I
Niggmbothom Bartlett
Nile furniture
Holllitert
J t P Floweri
JRB Supermarket
Mott'i
Rockwell Broi
Weaver Qatei Pharmacy
Western Auto Anociate S'ore
CONTRIBUTING BUSINESSES
Albany Laundry & Dry Cleaning
Jamei H Cotter
Fir at Notional Bank
Godfrey funeral Hornet Inc.
Great State Printing Inc
Ann King'• Bakery
J Carter King Jr Iniurance
longkorn Restaurant
Patterson i GuH
Tom Prke Motors
Skelton iiton
SR Mobile Nome Sites
SoaHiwastern Bell
Webb t Webb. Inc
Welt Teias Utilities
MUST
BE
PRESENT
TO
WIN
~v
1
A TOTAL OF $1500
In Gift Certificates Will Be Given Away
Over A 3-Week
Period
The 1979 Christmas Drawings Are
Our Way Of Saying "Thank You
For Shopping In Albany ! "
from the Bible, is an un
forgettable experience
for even the young child
spectator.
Throughout the years
since 1939. as people have
come and gone front AT
bany, a many and varied
company of amateur ac-
tors have provided the
ill and talents neces
sary for presentation In
eluded in the Long list of
participant •• is Nail the
author Vho in an erner
'gency M'nulil: successtallv.'
.'port ray n.vany of the
'parts lh .tc.ted as- riarra
tor. prophet, shepherd. or
i.n-nket pe; ,vv it h perfect ■
ease . Aful hi' e:n)o>e(!
'it 'H v. i,,;. •' -a task' tor
hint 1 n 'a as a pri\ jlege ■
s.nd an elderly e\ member
l f t he.i-ast
ay i:tg in t he primary
r ■ t s ,i.f : he Albany
Nativity since its .: cep
t 'tv in 9 '9. am! t he ears
n w h eh thv> appeared
are he lotion >ng ■
V \RR 11 'tR
C F C rotty 19.!9 40
Worth Dalto:;. Jr. 1941..
Jerrv Hall 1940 14;'Robert
Nail 1951. 14 ,17; John
Hay -. 1916. James Pollard
191. Jack- IVter- 1.9ti1'
George W alker 1962. 85.,
67. R'odn'vy Williams 1970'
.Gary Whitbe, k 197 > Jon.
Y lertei l-9t6. 7"'
MANY
Mrs 1/ T lie.tT.er !9.<9
M a vine Row land 1940 41"
Mr-- M, rsb.». Von Hieber
s' ■ e 19 In Mr> Fred J or
don IV17 Is. Alr> ' Hii.l Hill
1919 >2 1 Jean Jones
19>! >4 uv M's Nathan
AVebb '917 M:>
"Pet, -s 19t; M-v
Hn tt nig h ani
JVe \V" ndso,' I9bo
,l'arl \'idei'So:'. .19t- '
Jojies Hard-away.. 19
■ . . '
s yrit.
S ' t t\ \\ I"* b \ ^1. r I'
Mi \H
■ i 1 Vrott\ 19 <9. Kobert
V .1940 11. 'I Jerrv
. Ball 19 It-' 17 \ \ Jones
•Ji 194s >i «i »7. t;L'. b i.
K,' 70, 7 i. 11 Has Harrei!
i i'f
i'ancts
Karnes
19,i) \ aug,han Mooi'e J r.
19.VJ it'' Jaiues t oker
1954; Murrell Thompson
1960; Donnie Lucas 1976,
79.
HEROD
LaVern Capps 1939; C.E
Crottv 1940; Lloyd Lietz
Jr 1941, 47 48. 62; James
Hall 1946; Rov Hathawav
1949 54, 56 57, 60, 70, 73.
76, 79; Sam Wink 1965. 67,
EI.PIS
Mrs. James Sanders 1939,
46 53; Nadine Hobbs,
1910, i'earl Grable 1941
Maida Scott 1954, 56 I7
60,62,65.67,70, 73,76. 7'9
ESRUM
I'homas V\'hatle> 1939. 41
Lerov Williams 1941). A
\ Jones Jr. 1941. 47. J r.'
iiiy Coker 1948; Cloy d R
Knight 1949 51. Hill Hook
er 1952 53; Ed Reefer .If
1954. 56, Wilford -\1U
19,17. 60; Jackie Eubanks
1962; Hill Stapp 1961. Cor
bv Larance 1965. James
Walters 1967, 73, 76. 79
Ronnie Nations 1970
JORIM
J' Lee Fade 1939. Jack
Meredith 1940 41; Darrell.
Randall 1946; Jim Coker
1947; Donald Tabb 194*
James Carmon 1949. H
Hooker 1950 51. Douglas
Mead 1953. We Id on
Wright 1954, 56. Fielding
Winchester 1957, tVO. Hi!'.
Stapp. 1962; Corb> l.ar
a'nee 1962; Jim McColltun
4965; Jesse White 19f"
"4 Doug Tillman 1970.
Mike Johnson 1976,79
\H1RAM
John Tarlton 1939 cofi
tihuousl> through 197(1'.
Walter Crow 1940. II.
Ko\ Hathaway 194s. Hi"
Hooker 1954. 56. 59. Rid:
ard Middlebjook 196."
Robert Echols 19~'3 "6
Hill Foster 1979.
I'A SEA H
i'olonel Higgs 1939 41.
46 13. 60. A L Mitchell
1911. 56 57, J R Freudv
ge.r 1962; Roy Fubanks
1962. 65. 67. 73.' 76 79
Richard Middle brook
1970.
LAHABIM
Sam Spears 1939 10
James D. Dennison 1911
John W Wood 1946, 51
Robert Nail 1946. Al John
son 1947 54. Wii.Jia:v
Vaughan' 1956 57, 6i' J
W Cloud 1962. 65. 67. "0
James Cotter 1973, 76. '9
*
''V
4
«f
( harming choir. . .
So^eiol membeis ol the 80 plus loeotbei children s
vboit oil' shown heie in i«»heaiiol"li>f then part in
the Albany Nahvtty 1 he local students play an im
p,v lont iole in the presentation providing an
oipiossivo Imale to the story ol the bitth of Christ
brst presented locally in 1^3^!. (Stall Photo)
Glenda Duraso, Rusty Harris
Married In Atlanta Dec. 10
. C'lenda Catl Cox Duraso
of Hreckenridge and Rus
t> Morgan Harris of Al
ha,i\ were married at 3:00
p.m Monday. December
10. 1979 in Atlanta,
Georgia
The Rev J Davis
Roberts officiated for the
single ring ceremony. The
bride was presented in
marriage by her parents.
Mr and Mrs. I'aul Cox.
Others attending the wed
ding were Mrs. I'atsy
Jane l.pwe. sister of the
bruie; Tonv and Hwlney
Duraso. sons of the bride
and Eva Lynn Walker, a
friend
The groom's parents
are Mr. and Mrs. Russ^l
Morgan Harris of 409
Fisher Street. Albany.
The couple will live
with their two children at
119 Gregg Street in A,1
bany.
Personnel manager to
applicant: "I can't piHv
mise you the job, but our
computer it favorably un
pressed."
i i
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Lucas, Donnie. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 20, 1979, newspaper, December 20, 1979; Albany, Tex.. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth428954/m1/5/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.