For Christians, Christmastime is clearly about celebrating the birth of Jesus, but in this video featuring 16-year-old Reese Oliveira and a group of talented friends performing “I Sing of Christmas”—well, we are reminded of much more than just His birth!
As the video begins, a pair of young hands hang a crimson ornament on a Christmas tree festooned in gold, green, and red. The lead performer, Reese Oliveira, appears from behind a gold drape and begins singing. She finishes the first verse, the curtain opens, and we now see a manger scene with a duo of child actors and one cute, if a bit “stiff,” baby doll depicting the holy family.
Reese, in modern-day clothing, bends down to the manger and continues singing. With the beginning of verse two, several others join those already on stage. There is a twirling star, reminding us of the one the shepherds followed. However, the lyrics of the song Reese sings go a bit further. The words also remind us to be a light in a dark world when we are called to do so.
There is a triad of handsome wise men, and a shepherd who might just have his hands full with three of the cutest tutu-clad sheep in the valley! A choir of kids, who appear to be anywhere from 5 to 17, back up Reese on the song’s bridge. Their beautiful, smiling faces reflect the joy that Christmas brings to the world!
The final vignette shows Reese presenting gifts to three cherubs in pajamas. One is the ornament we saw at the start—a cardinal. Reese sings of how the red ornaments hanging on our trees serve as expressions of how Jesus’s blood was shed on the cross at the end of His earthly life. The entire cast and choir returns for the final chorus, which goes as follows:
I sing shepherds and wisemen, God’s love divine
Miracles, teachings, His gospel sublime
I sing of Him…Beginning and End
Oh I sing of Christmas, my