Country music superstar and proud ambassador Blake Shelton has recorded a rocking and jubilant arrangement of the traditional carol “Go Tell It on the Mountain” as the end credits song of director Dallas Jenkins’ highly anticipated family comedy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The film, from Lionsgate and Kingdom Story Company, is in theaters November 8.
Available October 18, fans can pre-save/pre-add the song here. Jenkins will announce it today at Chosen Con, the annual gathering for fans of Jenkins’ breakout television series, The Chosen.
“Hearing that Blake would do a new recording for my film was pretty exciting, but the song exceeded my expectations,” said Jenkins. “It’s not only perfect for the film, but I’ve listened to it a couple dozen times in my car.”
The traditional holiday spiritual is produced and arranged by Scott Hendricks, with an assist from Shelton on arrangement. As a fun fact: Credits also include gospel star Gordon Mote on piano and organ and Wendy Moten on background vocals. Moten joined Team Blake on Season 21 of The Voice, finishing in second place.
“I love everything about Christmas, especially music that makes me feel as good inside as the holiday itself,” said Shelton. “This movie is fun and heartwarming and captures the true holiday spirit. So we wanted to record a song that expresses reverence and faith and puts a smile on your face. ‘Go Tell It on the Mountain’ does all of that and I hope our version and the movie become a new Christmas tradition.”
In The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the Herdmans are absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, they steal, they bully…and now they’ve hijacked the town Christmas pageant. Directed by Dallas Jenkins (“The Chosen”) and based on the international bestseller by Barbara Robinson, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows six siblings who sneak into church searching for snacks and walk away with the lead roles in the town pageant. Grace (Judy Greer) is directing the performance for the very first time, but she and her daughter Beth (Molly Belle Wright) and husband Bob (Pete Holmes) are in over their heads, especially against a town that wants them to kick the Herdmans out. But the play’s mischievous stars might unwittingly teach a community the true meaning of Christmas.
Starring Judy Greer, Pete Holmes, Molly Belle Wright and Lauren Graham, the film is directed by Dallas Jenkins from a screenplay by Ryan Swanson and Platte F. Clark & Darin McDaniel, based on the novel by Barbara Robinson, and produced by Kevin Downes, Jon Erwin, Andrew Erwin, Darin McDaniel, Chet Thomas and Daryl Lefever.
Lionsgate presents, in association with Media Capital Technologies, a Kingdom Story Company production in association with Lumenas Studios and FletChet Entertainment.
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