Materials for Activity

• Percussion instruments for all participants
• Optional: "Animal ears" headbands or other simple costume prop for a donkey, a cat, a rooster and a dog

Preparation for Activity

• Arrange with your religious educator, minister or lay worship leaders for the children to make a scheduled appearance during worship to present a musical pride parade, perhaps as a "Story for All Ages."
• Gather drums, shakers, rattles and other percussion instruments for all the children to distribute to some congregants if you wish.
• Gather the animal props for the children to represent the Brementown Musicians, such as a flowery hat for Donkey, a dog bone for Dog, etc.

Description of Activity

The children will lead a musical pride parade as a "Story for All Ages" or as another segment of congregational worship. They will demonstrate with pride that anyone can make music, especially together.

You can have the children make music to accompany the chalice-lighting words you use each time you meet in Wonderful Welcome. Or, have the children perform the refrain from the story, The Brementown Musicians:

On the road to Brementown

A musician he would be.

Adapt the refrain for your own congregation or community:

On the road to First Parish Malden,

Musicians we will be.

Or, the group can make up lyrics and music of their own - as long as it is easy for the children to teach and lead the congregation comfortably.

Introduce the children by explaining that the Wonderful Welcome group learned about the intangible gift of acceptance and how important it is for Unitarian Universalists. Tell the congregation that the children heard the story, "The Brementown Musicians," and had a chance to have a musical band of their own. If some children are dressed as Donkey, Cat, Dog and Rooster, introduce them and invite them to show their special sounds.