Holy Boy is the name of a Christmas Oratorio written by David Palmer

David Palmer (composer)

David Palmer is a composer. He lives near Croydon, in the county of Surrey, United Kingdom. He worked as a teacher, particularly at Thomas More High School in Purley, now in the London Borough of Croydon, where he was head of music for 30 years....

. The piece follows the history of Christianity from the Israelite King David up until the prophecies of Isaiah

Isaiah

Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...

 and the Jews

Judaism

Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...

 waiting for the arrival of the Messiah

Messiah

A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...

. From that point, it then changes time period to the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD

Anno Domini

and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars....

 It was first performed in 1977.

Act one

Act One briefly describes the pre-Christ history of the Jewish nation and faith.

• 1 Shepherd, Lonely Shepherd
• 2 So the Bible Says (part 1)
• 3 The King of Israel (recitative
  Recitative
  Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
  
  )
• 4 Go to Bethlehem
• 5 So David was Anointed
• 6 Song of the Kings Part 1 (recit.)
• 7 The Lord is my Shepherd
• 8 So David freed the King from his rage (recit.)
• 9 Song of the Kings Part 2 (recit.)
• 10 So the Bible Says (part 3)
• 11 He Could Tell
• 12 Immanuel (part 1)
• 13 Ever Bowing, Ever Scraping
• 14 Immanuel (part 2)

Act two

Act Two follows the life of Jesus, his earthly parents and those who met them, until the Flight to Egypt.

• 14a Prelude to Act Two
• 15 In a Town Called Nazareth
• 16 Hail Mary
• 17 The Son of God
• 18 How Can it Be? (part 1)
• 19 Order from Rome
• 20 So the Bible Says (part 3)
• 21 Bethlehem is a Long Way
• 22 Shelter me Friend
• 23 In the Darkness
• 24 Sleep, Peacefully Sleep
• 25 Shepherds' Dance (instrumental
  Instrumental
  An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
  
  )
• 26 Shepherds, Lonely Shepherds
• 27 Surely Angels must know
• 28 Far Away, from Eastern Lands
• 29 Holy Child
• 30 Holy Child/In the Darkness/Now we see the Shepherds
• 31 Song of the Kings Part 3 (recit.)
• 32 Slaughter of the Innocents (instr.)
• 33 Now the Baby Boys are Slaughtered (recit.)
• 34 How Can it Be? (part 2)
• 35 We Will Return
• 36 Holy Boy

See also

• There is a companion David Palmer Oratorio, Holy Man, which picks up the story later in Jesus' life.