The Christmas concert is over and we are rightly proud of the gift we produced. The North Shore crowds were certainly very pleased with their holiday injection, and we are rightly energized and exhausted.
The Honors Youth Chorus, which we sponsor, moved the audiences to tears of wonder and tears of laughter. They performed a haunting song about Mid-Winter longings that stopped many a breath during their well-performed song. They followed it up with snippets from The Nutcracker called Nutcracker Jingles - all sung to words of Jingle Bells.
The soprano, Rachele Schmiege, sang Bach/Gounod's Ave Maria, which was heart-stopping. Her vowels and tones were incredible. The contralto, Stephanie Kacoynis, sang O Holy Night with the same precision while the chorus joined her for the response.
We sang, O Dulcis Jubilo, Vivaldi's Magnificat, Vittoria's Ave Maria, Rachmaninoff's Ave Maria, Gretchaninoff's O Gladsome Light, the Ukrainian Carol of the Bells, Schram's O Come Little Children, Mendelssohn/Kern's Angels in Seven, with Gruber's Silent Night.
As I sang, I was wish my mother and father could have been present. This could be my mother's last Christmas and I would have liked her to be comforted by Silent Night one last time. These concerts are gifts that keep giving the spirit of life. A lot of people do not know they need these types of concerts, but it is a balm that comforts and brings tidings of joy.
After the concert, I visited my mother in the Rehab facility. I wanted to bring her some of the song and joy we experienced. I came home exhausted. All I could do is watch TV, so I turned on the movie "Spotlight" to see a film that I could not get to during its run in the theaters. I'm glad I saw it. It reminds me of the need for Christmas.
