Wednesday, December 24, 2008

On the night before Christmas ...

Just getting a few last minutes of relaxation in before the church marathon begins tonight.

I've filled a slow-cooker with my home made quick and easy chili recipe (basically, browned ground beef with onions, tomato sauce, bell peppers, corn, beans, salsa and enough chili powder to keep us awake until 2 am), and am currently sitting with one cat on my lap just waiting until my wife gets home early from work.

The services tonight begin at 7 PM and 11 PM, but I have to tune the reeds, practice my postlude (Piece d'Orgue aka Fantasia in G Major), and make sure there are enough hymn sheets, bulletins and music for the choir and guests.

The first service is the family service, complete with the ubiquitous pageant, which this year promises to be different, and "Canadian" (cue up the Huron Carol), then the big service (after eating the aforementioned chili and enjoying a glass of sherry or two, as is tradition) begins at 11:00.

The music scheduled for 11PM contains mainly your standard fair of Willcocks' descants (why would you do any others?) a few communion carols, including the normandy tune of Away in a Manger from the Green Carol Book (C for C I), Infant Lowly, and Harold Darke's "In the Bleak Mid-Winter", which by the way, was voted England's Favourite Christmas Carol.  For a different take on England's favourite carol, I highly recommend this post from one of my favourite blogs.

Tomorrow morning - a very quiet service, postlude will be Bach again, this time, the short "In Dulci Jubilo", then there will be presents to open - if we make it that long.

Wishing you all a peaceful, restful, and blessed Christmas!


2 comments:

I'm Still Me said...

The music sounds wonderful over there. I will miss the descants. Unfortunately, we weren't able to program any because of how many people leave at Christmastime here. Merry Christmas to everyone ... and have a few more sips of sherry for us!

Kate Mc said...

It was a great service - brought back a lot of memories of the old choir-girl days (that, and finding an old photo of a 10-year-old me in my cassock at my 'rents place over Christmas!). Thanks to Kathleen for inviting me to sing with you guys - and sorry I didn't get to say Happy Christmas before I took off. All the best for 2009!