Last night, I went with my family to my granddaughter’s Christmas Concert. What a privilege! Those young people are talented! And beautiful in their neat uniforms and shiny black shoes. They were also attentive. All eyes were on their director and they responded to every nuance in the music and the silent directions from his face and baton. Let me tell you, these kids are good kids, accomplished scholars, gifted musicians, studious and…well, just good kids! We don’t hear enough about them and many times don’t give them credit for being pretty wonderful human beings.
Maybe it’s because I was in band a few decades ago that I so enjoy hearing a group of good musicians. There’s something about playing an instrument in a group of instruments that bonds the players into one. Each person has a part to play. By itself, that one part might not be noteworthy but together with all woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings, they blend into a pretty magnificent whole.
Especially, I enjoyed hearing “What Child Is This?” The melody was born under a different name, “Greensleeves”, way back in merry olde England in the 16th or 17th century but in the 1800s, the tune was blessed with words about Christ’s birth. As I listened, I could imagine myself in the king’s court, or in the dark stable with Mary and Joseph and Jesus.
All in all, it was a mighty enjoyable evening. 
The concert was one of those intangible Christmas gifts. I couldn’t pick it up and hold it in my hands, but it was a beautiful moment in time that I’ll treasure forever.
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