The Rural Voice, 1985-12, Page 12Remembrance of Things Past
Celebrating
the Season
by Andrew Dixon
f all the entertainments of
my youth, Christmas and the
Christmas concert were the most
exciting, especially when I was very small
and everything was accepted at face value.
I had no previous experience with which
to make comparisons and no disillusions
to lessen anticipation. I suppose from a
professional point of view that the
Christmas concert was awful, but to me it
was and still is a glorious experience.
About a month before the event I would
be given a "Piece." This would be a short
verse usually cut from a local paper and
saved for the occasion. No doubt it had
been read by all in the congregation, but
to me it was new.
I wish I could draw a picture to show
the wonder of that night — a little white
brick church in the midst of the
headstones recording those who had made
the community, a cold frosty winter
night, cutters and sleighs with their chim-
ing bells converging on the building, the
friendly yellow glow of the windows from
the outside, and the welcome warmth as
you entered the building.
1
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There were few evergreens in our area
but there was a Christmas tree, without
lights of course, because there was no
electricity, but there were coloured balls,
red ribbon and tinsel, and in the soft
mysterious light of the oil -burning lamps
the tree probably had all the enchantment
of the better illuminated trees of today.
Presents were tied to the tree, one for
every child there. But the concert came
first. So I watched the concert with
delight and interest. The chairman was
usually the minister and occasionally he
offended by delivering a sermon, much to
the consternation of a restless little boy.
But when you were finally announced
there was applause while you mounted the
stage. You made a bow and said your
"Piece," with prompting if necessary,
and made your final bow. For a small,
very inexperienced boy, this was a lot to
remember but by and large I did
reasonably creditably. Yet I doubt if
anybody heard what I said because it real-
ly was a bit scary away up there, and
strange.
At the end of the concert, Santa Claus
THE RURAL VOICE