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Showing posts from December, 2016

Holiday Musical Traditions

We all have holiday traditions ranging from waking up Santa (who's sleeping under one's Christmas tree) and chasing him up the chimney before the children come racing down the stairs (we always heard his jingle bells, but never did catch a glimpse of him rushing up the flue, even though Dad insisted he had to chase him out of the house every year) to drinking egg nog on New Year's Eve... But what about musical traditions associated with the holidays? Many families and individuals make a concerted (pun intended) effort to attend a Messiah sing-in, during which members of the audience bring or are given copies of Handel's famous score with which to sing along. I personally love this tradition, and lament the fact that in some areas of our country this tradition seems to be waning. Others participate in caroling expeditions through their neighborhoods and to nursing homes to spread good will and Christmas cheer. This year I coordinated a neighborhood caroling night and it