Wrapping up the weekend

I didn’t have a lot of time to keep up with blogging this past week, as our church had its Christmas concert this past Friday and Sunday. A little bit of everything for everyone: choir, orchestra, kids’ program, handbells, Christmas hymns, etc… I was playing trombone in the orchestra, which was a nice change of pace from the contemporary worship music.

The main part of the show was taken from “The Joy of Christmas”, a program of typical Christmas melody conflagrations. Our orchestra was augmented with student musicians from the University of Minnesota, so the overall level of musicianship was high. The arrangements were by Dave Williamson, so some familiar territory as I’ve played charts out of some of his gospel albums before (and he generously included a gospel piece in this program, performed by a soloist from one of Minneapolis’ more diverse churches).

It was a bit odd playing in a different Christmas program than the one that I’ve played for the past 4-5 years, but it all turned out well. Good performances, maybe a little over the top in exuberance, but the audience seemed to enjoy it and worshiped together as a congregation and community. I am blessed to have a wife who was willing to let me be gone so much this past week, especially with family Christmas plans approaching rapidly. The kids survived not being put to bed by Daddy, so that’s good, I guess.

Reminder: if you have a live Christmas tree, don’t let the water level get below the bottom of the trunk! The tree will ooze sap and seal itself off so that it starts drying out. Then you and your wife will be in the living room late at night after the kids are asleep, dismantling the tree stand, leaning the tree over without breaking the ornaments and laboring to make a fresh cut through wet wood with a handsaw. Just a reminder…

Finally, if you can’t wait until Friday to hear how Denver and the Mile High Orchestra fared in the finale to The Next Great American Band, click here.