Christmas Music

Photo: Becky, Christmas 1968

Today I had planned to put up the tree, but instead got the idea that my son and his wife might need a babysitter so they could go shopping. They did, and I ended up sitting instead of putting up the tree. Home again, I began to get that "bah humbug" feeling about the tree and wondered if I would skip it this year. Maybe I wouldn't even get the Christmas music out either. Silly thought. I no sooner thought that thought than I went looking for and pulled out all the Christmas music.

I can't remember how young I was when I started playing and singing Christmas songs. I'm sure I must have been very small as my grandpa Chamberlin had me singing all kinds of things at age three. And through all the ups and downs of my life, Christmas music has been a constant that I never stopped enjoying.

It's about being seven or eight years old and harmonizing with my older sister.

It's about my sister and I as pre-teens singing along at the piano and forcing our younger sisters to join in.

It's about our teen years and singing in Seminaires, double-mixed quartet, countless programs, and my first solo, O Holy Night, with the ward choir.

It's about mom's rule that the Christmas music didn't come out until after Halloween.

It's about my first year married and living in Dover, Delaware, where I bought my first piano for $25 at Spencer's flea market and auction. And with only $6 left between my husband and I until payday, I sat and played my new old piano and hoped not to lose it. An older, somewhat inebriated black man sat down at the bench with me and asked me to play Si-a-lent Night. I played, we both sang. And when he heard my dilemma, he found someone who would deliver my piano to my house for exactly $6. I wish I still had that old piano.

It's playing and singing those old favorite songs to my young children on my second piano (I still have that one).

It's about arranging and directing ward Christmas cantatas.

It's about playing the Sleigh Ride duet with my daughter every year--now on my third and final piano, my much-loved, black Yamaha grand.

I looked through all my old sheet music - I don't know how old some of it is. But it is part of my life and a small thing I do for myself every year. The events of the year do not stop this little annual celebration of mine.

Maybe I will put up that tree.