Ohhh, the weather outside...
Monday, December 22, 2008 at 07:23AM The weather outside was actually frightful this weekend. A nasty snowstorm brought Ottawa County to a grinding halt Friday morning, and Sunday morning the same thing happened, only worse. An hour south of us, on Interstate I94, a hundred cars and trucks piled up, and one person died.
So Sunday morning the service was cancelled, and I stayed home and read the paper. And took a really great nap.
Saturday night, however, was good. The meeting room was decorated with those little white lights that hang like icicles, giving the room a warm glow. Small group, as usual, and I played keyboard as Ed led us through:
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
The First Noel
What a Wonderful Maker
It was just me on the keyboard for the carols, which was old fashioned--I'm sorry: 'vintage'--and then The Other Ed picked up his acoustic for Wonderful Maker.
Back to me on the keys for:
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Joy To The World
It was nice, with the regular lights turned off and just the Christmas lights lighting the room. I was basically sight-reading the words/chords charts--if you can say I was sight-reading songs I've played hundreds of times each. I had one little moment...there was a diminished chord printed over the word "of" in the following line: 'Born is the King of Israel'. The first time through I skipped it, but curiosity got the better of me, and the second time around I played it. Yick--it was way too...vintage. Made me laugh.
If you somehow missed my 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' Christmas story from a few months back, you musicians might enjoy it--click here. For my take on decorating shows, click here.
Merry Christmas! For all you music directors: I've been there, and I hope you make it through whatever big productions you have planned for Christmas Eve, and still find time for family.
This post is part of Fred McKinnon's 'Sunday Set Lists'.
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Reader Comments (6)
They are lovely, aren't they, the candles and little lights. One of my most special moments at the carol service was looking out over this community of people that I love so dearly and our visitors and just watching and listening to them singing. And imagining the smile on Emmanuel's face.
I've gotta admit, Ed, I've never really look at that song as anything more than a drug-induced haze of musical randomness. You've given me something new to think about. I've never noticed that "God Rest Ye..." part in there, but it is clear as day. Wow.
We had to cancel church a couple of times last year but so far this year things haven't gotten that frightful for us here in OK. Hope your weather clears up soon!
When you say "vintage" do you mean "Baptist Hymnal" vintage?
Mike: There's probably no arguing against the drug-induced haze, but there is some musical inventiveness. Besides, it's part of my psyche now--I have no objectivity left.
Jason: Yes. In a bad way. Well, the first usage of the word was with some nostalgia attached, and a certain wistfulness. The second usage was more of a snickering behind the hand at the way dminished chords are sometimes used. Not that I mind a good diminished chord once in a while, but not like this:
D, C#dim/E, D/F#
Sheesh.
lol