The Gift of the Magi
for Narrator and Orchestra
A story set at Christmas time during the 1920s in New York, based on ‘The Gift of the Magi’ by O.Henry (William Sidney Porter).
The scene is set during the era of the Wall Street Crash in New York on Christmas Eve. The music uses styles popular at the time: blues, ragtime, and jazz, with a sprinkling of popular Christmas carol themes.
Music by Lawrence Killian
Script/ Narration by Matthew Lockyer
SCORING: 2+pic, 2, 2,2 /2,2,31 /timp.perc(2) /strings /narrator
DURATION: Approx. 15 minutes
AVAILABILITY: In Progress - July 2025
The Story
On Christmas Eve, a woman named Della Dillingham Young discovers that she has only $1.87 to buy a present for her husband, James, also known as Jim. Despite being poor, the Dillingham Youngs love each other and possess two items they value as treasures: Della's knee-length brown hair that would depreciate the Queen of Sheba's jewels, and Jim's gold pocket watch, a family heirloom that would make King Solomon envy him.
Della dresses warmly and visits the nearby shop of a wig maker, Madame Sofronie, who buys Della's hair for $20. Della then uses the money to buy a platinum fob chain to go with Jim's watch, which he has attached with a worn leather strap. When Jim comes home from work that evening, Della admits that she sold her hair to buy him the chain. Jim gives Della her present, a set of ornamental combs, which she cannot use until her hair grows back out. Della gives Jim the watch chain, and he tells her that he sold his watch to buy the combs. While they know the gifts they gave each other cannot be used for a while, Jim and Della realise how far they went to show each other their love and how invaluable it truly is. The story ends with the narrator declaring that those who sacrifice their material possessions for the people they love are as wise as the magi.
N.B. For reference, a link to the full PDF script for the narrator is show after the Music 10 example at the bottom of this page.
(a) Introduction
Music 1: Chimes playing in the background whilst the narrator reads the first section.
(b) Dramatis Personae - an introduction to the characters
Music 2: Slow ballad-style sequence using fragments of In the Bleak Midwinter. Narration comes in over the quieter string quartet/ flute sections.
(c) Dramatis Personae (continued) - ‘Perhaps the fewer things you own, the more they give you pleasure’.
Music 3: Symphonic Foxtrot (part 1) a more extended scene setting interlude for orchestra.
(d) Dramatis Personae (continued) - ‘Dell has no money for jewels, shoes or dresses, but she doesn’t care because of her (beautiful) hair’.
Music 3: Symphonic Foxtrot (part 2) conclusion of the scene setting interlude for orchestra.
(e) The Dollar Eighty Cents Blues - this can be either sung by the narrator or ‘said’ in time to the rhythm
Music 5: Blues style ….. N.B. this is an initial sketch only (10 July 2025) …. more to come to complete the full 12 bar blues.
(f) Inspiration - narration over the cello and viola ostinato
Music 6: Nutcracker style ….. uses The Coventry Carol theme.
(g) Inspiration (continued) - ‘The wind whirls snow in the icy flurries ….. nothing gives her heart a lift like wrapping up lovers gift.’ - narrated over the string quartet ‘ditti’ part way through to the end of this section
Music 7: Ragtime style ….. uses Joy to the World snippet.
(h) Preparation - Back at home Della waits for Jim to arrive
Music 8: Music composition in progress - due for completion week ending 24 July 2025. (Continuation of Ragtime Style?)
(i) Consternation - ‘The wind whirls snow in the icy flurries ….. nothing gives her heart a lift like wrapping up lovers gift.’ - narrated over the string quartet ‘ditti’ part way through to the end of this section
Music 9: Music composition in progress - due for completion week ending 24 July 2025. (Recap of in the Bleak Midwinter ballad-style?)
(j) Revelation - Balthalazar summs up our tale ….
Music 10: Jazz Waltz style orchestral finale - using We Three Kings. N.B. There is still work to do on this (10 July 2025)