Students performing one of the many songs at the Christmas concert. Photo: Reuben Stoby/VINO

There was a role for everyone in the play.

It was a packed house at the Robinson O'Neal Memorial Primary School's Christmas programme

In front of a packed audience of proud parents at the school’s auditorium in North Sound, the students also performed a number of dances and songs, including the theme song for the programme - A Christmassy Feeling.

Although not quite promising X Factor candidates, the effort was certainly there as they tried to invoke the “Christmassy feeling” with their many songs that included Christmas is Coming, Come on Ring those Bells, Colour Lights, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Who’s that babe, Jingle Jingle and Feliz Navidad.

But quite impressive, bearing in mind that Principal Norma Creque had said the students did not have much time to prepare for the Christmas Programme, was the play which was entitled “A Christmas Friend” and which began with a conversation between a boy named Jonathon (D’Moi) and Frank (Jarmarley).

Jonathon had recently moved to Virgin Gorda from St. Croix and was very lonely as he had no friends in Virgin Gorda and was missing his best friend back in St. Croix. Frank then seeks to introduce Jonathon to a friend, who he claimed is always there - Jesus.

The second scene was about Jonathon ( played by Gia Wilson) trying to convince his busy mother (Jaani) to go to a Christmas play that Frank (Lenique Simeon) had invited them to. Scene 3 focuses on the nativity play with Joseph ( Daniel) and Mary (Loreal) seeking to get a place to spend the night and the loud inn keeper (Azaree) informing them that the best he could do was to allow them to spend the night in the barn.

The scene was the birth of Jesus (a doll) and the three wise men coming to pay homage after being guided by an angel (Shaquana).

There were also group songs in between scenes.

Some of the characters forgot their lines at times which resulted in periodical pauses but thanks to persistence and patient parents, the children pursued and prevailed. At the end of the play which also brought the curtain down on the Christmas programme the cast of characters, along with other students, joined to sing Joy to the World to herald the birth of Jesus.

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The coordinators for the Christmas programme, who were kept busy throughout the exercise trying to settle the ever busy children and getting the items to run smoothly, were Ms. Lennard, Ms. Beverly George and Mrs. Hubbard.