The Joy of Christmas Music

The Christmas Band at the Elks Club in 2019

     Most people know Christmas songs—the words and the melodies. After all, aside from church services, Christmas songs—secular and sacred—are piped into stores after Halloween. Although, this year I heard Christmas music in stores before Halloween. Some people like rushing the season. 

     I have special memories of my childhood Christmases. There was one wonderful night when it snowed just before Christmas. Big, fluffy flakes fell gently from heaven. My mom put one speaker of our old Magnavox on the edge of the windowsill and played an album of Christmas songs. Some of the other children on our block joined in singing the carols. We walked around in circles in the front yard in the snow belting out the familiar old songs. What joy we had in our hearts!

     When I was in college, I joined a madrigal choir. We sang at the Women’s Club in Jersey City. There are plenty of fa, la, la’s in a madrigal choir.

     As the Brownie leader for my daughters’ troop, we took the Brownies caroling one night. Hubby played the accordion until his fingers froze and we went house to house. The girls thought it was terrific. At every house, they got candy canes simply for singing. They were delighted.

      When our daughters were in the high school youth group at church,  hubby would accompany the teenagers as they caroled at various nursing homes or other senior citizens’ housing facilities. Soon hubby received more invitations to entertain the elderly or the disabled at Christmas. For many years, hubby gathered together his musical friends and played at the Christmas party the Elks club put together for disabled citizens. It was the best party of the year!

     Hubby and I are still providing accompaniment for the church youth group at Christmas when they carol at the senior citizens’ housing facility. We are there at the church’s tree lighting as well. We are also entertaining at other seniors’ facilities during the holiday season.

     Every generation has their own music, but most people are quite familiar with the music of this season—whether it’s Frosty the Snowman, O Holy Night, I Had a Little Dreidel, or Feliz Navidad. The holiday season is a part of American culture. It's sweet when we all know the words and we all sing together. 

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