Christmas Music

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Thirteen Things about MY MUSICAL CHRISTMASES These are some highlights of how music has made my Christmas bright in days of yore: 1. Church Christmas Pageants, especially the year Santa came early. We returned home after Sunday morning church service, which included the children's pageant, to find Santa had visited and left me a guitar among many other wonderful presents. (Didn't shake my belief in Santa one bit~I was eight.) 2. Elementary School concerts, particularly playing the recorder in 4th grade, wearing my purple velvet "palazzo" pants sewn by mom to play my cello in 5th grade, and singing an obligato part in a trio of girls in the 6th grade. 3. In high school, I played several performances of Messiah with the Dearborn Symphony, our semi-professional community orchestra. I thought I was becomming a great musician at the time. (Maybe I was, but...) 4. My high school choir sang Christmas music all over town, but the best part was singing Christmas Carols at Greenfield Village and Henry Ford Museum. I was also part of a group of kids invited to sing there the Christmas after we graduated~that was even more fun. Caroling with my church for shut-ins and impromtu caroling with h.s. choir friends were also memorable times. 5. In my senior of h.s., I accompanied our choir a little because no one else played piano at all. The choir was invited to sing at the Hyatt Regency. At the last minute, I was told I was going to start "It's Beginning to Look A lot Like Christmas" without the lights on. I did fine, but I was really nervous because the d.j.'s from a favorite radio station were there too. 6. My high school dream was fullfilled when I was selected as part of an exclusive, seniors only, 16 member "Vocal Ensemble". We performed choreographed songs all over the community on a regular basis. As you can imagine, Christmas was a particularly busy season. It was great!!!!! 7. In 1986, during my last year at Michigan State, I was in the State Singers and Chamber Choir, as well as the orchestra. There was a lot of music that year! I spent most of finals week at choir rehearsals for a performance of Messiah with the Lansing Symphony. Of course, when it was time for the performance, I had the worst sore throat of my life and couldn't eek out a note...I stayed home and I still regret it. 8. In the early 1990's, the former organist of our church was looking for a string quartet to play Christmas Eve. at his current church. A musician friend from church gave him my mom's name. As it turned out, the pastor of this church was our former pastor. This pastor and his wife had been pretty good friends with my parents until he left to pastor a congregation in Germany years ago. So, on that special Christmas Eve, over 20 years after worshiping together the last time, our quartet played and my family had a little reunion with old friends. That's when I started to realize that church and music will always bring us to each other. 9. Until I married my husband, I regularly attended Noel Night in Detroit's University & Cultural Center. There were carolers, singing school groups, and the MSU Men's Glee Club to enjoy. However my favorite memory was the year I stepped into the Cathedral Church of St. Paul where there was a Messiah sing along. I only sang a couple of choruses, but the mood of the night, the beauty of the church, and the music of eternity left a big impression on my soul. 10. In 2001 my husband-to-be were singing together in our Sunday school's P&W team. My husband has a strong voice and plays guitar pretty well. Unfortunately, his pitch seems to run a half-tone flat. I remember wanting so much to sing well and I should have been able to as the songs were so familiar. However, I just struggled so much to even find a singable key as the others in the group sang slightly under pitch as they followed my husband's lead. I eventually just moved my lips and stepped away from the mike for those Christmastime Sunday mornings. It's a funny memory, but at the time I felt like I wasn't much of a musician if I couldn't get everyone on the right pitch. (The guitar was fine, but the singers just didn't seem to notice how they were singing!) 11. In 2003, after many years of wishing, my mom had her dream of a family Christmas musicale come true. We all met at my house a couple nights before Christmas. We had a violin (mom), cello (me), guitar (husband), B flat trumpet(brother), and cornet (my s.i.l. plays fr. horn, but doesn't have a good case for air travel so she played my bro's old cornet.) Dad, big younger brother, and his wife sang(?) while the 6 & 3 year old kids banged on drums and tambourines. My baby at almost 6 mos., slept throught the whole thing! It was great, but we haven't been able to get it together since. Now my big girl could join in on violin and I know my little one will be there in full voice and "tappy" shoes! 12. My daughter was in 2nd grade in 2004 and by tradition, second graders sing at our community's tree lighting ceremony. It was a crisp beautiful Michigan night when we all gathered by the tree in the park to hear those sweet, clear voices sing of the season and see the tree light up for the first time of the year. 13. Last December, I played and sang a bit during the season of Advent. Unfortunately, my biggest memory was early in December when I played 'cello for the 8:15 service. I didn't feel good, but I thought I was okay. I played the first hymn and immediately laid my 'cello down and ran to the bathroom with good reason. I elected to drive home instead of trying to stick around for the 9:30 and 11:00 services to which I was commited. I felt guilty until I drove up my driveway and barely got the door to my car opened in time...

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