Thoughts On A Christmas Eve

About a week ago, I was feeling very frustrated; I wanted this year to be over and done with.  Since then, I have found myself to be in a better mood.  Somehow, I have finally gotten into the holiday spirit.  

This notwithstanding, it is unbeknownst to me how I arrived at these good feelings.  Maybe it's the snow on the ground that has brightened my mood.  Perhaps it's the good vibes that my friends have been sending out recently.  Or maybe it's simply that I've had time to think, and contemplate.  

Whatever the reason may be, I am clearly happier now than I was just seven days ago.   

Frankly speaking, why shouldn't I be happy? I have a roof over my head, clothes to wear on my back, and a warm bed to sleep in.  I have good food to eat and drink, and I am in good health.  I have many friends, and a loving family.  And I have been blessed with the greatest parents that I ever could've asked for.  No, I don't have everything; yet I have everything I really need.  

There is a certain 1980s song that says, "I'm heavenly blessed, and worldly wise" (1).  This is how I look at my life.  Indeed, God has richly blessed me, giving me (among other things) wisdom as I have grown older (this may be debatable in certain circles).  

Thus, on this Christmas Eve, I find myself counting my blessings.  I am not the best-looking guy, nor the strongest man or the richest man.  Nevertheless, I am rich in spirit; the spirit of life.  

The days of the year have rolled by, giving way to another Christmas and holiday season.  Whatever holiday you celebrate, be it Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or "Festivus for the rest of us", I have one wish to pass along (2).  It is for you and yours to have a fantastic holiday, wherever you may be.  

May the new year bring you (as well as those you love) much prosperity, happiness, and good health.  

"Merry Christmas (and happy holidays) to all, and to all a good night" (3).  

FCCC Memories (or, "Happy 25th, FCCC!")

In 1995, the direction of classical performances in Fairfield County was forever changed, as the "Fairfield County Children's Choir (FCCC)" was founded.  On this, the group's twenty-fifth anniversary, I wish to share some memories of my time in this distinguished organization (1).    

Just for chronological reference, let's look back at where we were twenty-five years ago.  

In Washington, Bill Clinton was in the third year of his first term as president.  Microsoft's "Windows 95" was brand new for the computer market, and the public internet was in its infancy (2).  Personally, I was fourteen years old, and entering eighth grade at Fairfield's Tomlinson Middle School.

The first memory that I have of FCCC is the day of my audition.  I remember my mother (who accompanied me on this occasion) driving me to what was then known as the Roger Ludlowe Community Center.  There, I went into one of the first floor rooms, and met music director Jon Noyes.  

Having earned my mother's enthusiastic endorsement, it was time for me to show what I could do.  For the sake of brevity, I will simply say that Mr. Noyes seemed to be impressed.  In short order, I found myself having membership in the very first ensemble of FCCC.  

Other than weekly rehearsals, breathing exercises, and the tongue-in-cheek "theme song" of the group (don't ask), there isn't too much that I remember about the usual routine.  Nevertheless, one memory has stayed with me; that of the choir's first big performance.  This particular concert took place at Fairfield University's Regina Quick Center.  

As I recall, when I walked into the concert venue, I was awed by the Center's size and setting.  Having limited experience, I had never sung in such a large hall before.  Looking back, it all seemed very surreal to a teenage boy.  

Among the selections that my ensemble performed that day, there are a few that stand out in my mind.  

I faintly remember singing a certain Bosnian folk song (this was about the time of the Bosnian War), the name and lyrics of which escape me (3).  We also presented a rendition of a song entitled "Siyahamba".  The composition's name is of Zulu origin; translated into English, it means "we are marching (in the light of God)" (4).  

The final performance of the concert was one that, twenty-five years later, I still remember fondly.  It was a piece called "Goin' Up Yonder", and it featured a female solo part.  In my mind, I can still hear the voice of Amanda Weir (apologies for not knowing her married name) singing that song, and the rest of the choir as we joined in.  Needless to say, the concert was a great success, and a key occasion in the history of the group.  

It is important for me to mention not only the lasting legacy of FCCC, but what the organization means to me personally.  FCCC helped me to grow into not simply an adult, but a man.  I made many good friends as part of that first ensemble; some that I still keep in touch with.  It's always enjoyable to remember those early times, and how the stage was set (so to speak) for later groups and events.  

Over the last twenty-five years, FCCC has become a thriving part of the Fairfield County cultural scene.  It has traveled all over the world, performing in places such as Carnegie Hall (see Author's Note).  The positive impact that the choir has had is, in a word, immeasurable (5).  

So saying, I salute the various groups of the Fairfield County Children's Choir, as well as their impeccable leaders.  Here's to another quarter-century of outstanding performances...and memories.  

Author's Note: Due to FCCC's age limits at the time, I missed this performance by one year...drat!

A Song For Today

In the spirit of the old “AOL Senate Sim” (don’t ask, LOL), I offer this.   

 <walks over to the jukebox> 

:: PLINK :: 

 

“The Patriot Game” (1, 2)

Written by Dominic Behan (1928-1989) (3) 

(As presented on another social networking site) 

 

Come all ye young rebels, and list while I sing 

For the love of one’s country is a terrible thing. 

It banishes fear with the speed of a flame 

And makes us all part of the Patriot Game. 

 

My name is O’Hanlon; my age is sixteen 

My home is in Monaghan; that’s where I was weaned.   

I’ve heard all my life cruel England’s to blame 

And so I am part of the Patriot Game.   

 

It’s been barely a year now since I wandered away 

With the local battalion of the bold IRA.   

I read of our heroes, and wanted the same; 

To play my own part in the Patriot Game. 

 

Now as I die here, all shot up with holes 

I think of the traitors who bargained and sold. 

And I wish that my rifle had given the same 

To the quislings who sold out the Patriot Game.   

______________________________________________

Definitions (some courtesy of the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)

• Monaghan: Noun.  A county in the Republic of Ireland.
• Weaned: Transitive verb.  To be born; past tense.     
• IRA: Noun.  “Irish Republican Army”, paramilitary group and major participant in “The Troubles”.   

• “The Troubles”: Noun.  A period of armed conflict in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.  It is generally defined as lasting from the late 1960s to approximately 1998 (although paramilitary groups can still be found in certain areas of Ireland) 

• Quislings: Noun, plural.  Cowards.