Singing In The Season

A new Christmas season called for a new Christmas party ... one that I've been contemplating for a while now. Ever since going to Hella-Mormon's piano parties (where her handsome and musically talented guy friends [funny how I can't remember any of her non-LA girl friends except the roommate and our friends in common] would come down from Stanford, crowd around her piano, and sing song after song from her musical library of everything from the Beatles, to John Denver to Billy Joel, in parts no less ... well, ever since then, I've been wanting to throw a piano party of my own.

And then, earlier this year, Pilgrim Girl asked me to house her piano for her. She said that it was because their apartment was so small, and she never had time to practice since she should be devoting her time to her doctoral studies, and that it would be bad to put the instrument into storage. And I jumped at the chance. What a fortuitous event!

So, this summer saw me practicing some Christmas songs. Strange, I know. But that's what the plug-in headphones are for. My plan was to practice a couple of new songs every week from the rather simplistic book of medlies I had buried among the sonatinas. And really, my intentions were very very good. However, the time slipped away from me. And November saw me desperately scrambling to play catch up.

The evites were sent out, and people were excited. I did make it a point to talk to the guitar guys (Drummer Boy, Mr Giggles and Hoppe Skip and a Laugh) about playing along, since they'd been so much fun up at Arrowhead. And I tried to pull in as many musical folks as I could ... not only to hide my own deficiencies, but also to give people a chance to share their talents. Spent a couple late nights and dollars at Kinkos copying and fitting music to pages ... hymns, popular carols, favorite four-part music I've sung in choirs over the years, some old favorites, and Dona Nobis Pacem (my favorite song from the Exponent II Retreat). Cleared out all the funiture from my bedroom (yes, even my massive bed was taken down and stuffed into the closet), decorated a tree, and I was ready.

It was so great to see everyone. LisaG, who I never seem to see except at my Christmas party. Eric and Co from down south. Some new and old friends from outside LA. And all my favorite nearby people and some of their friends. Sharing potlucky food, catching up, choosing books to take home, greeting and meeting new faces. it was just great. And then we started moving people back for the singing. The Guitar Guys were fabulous. However, the real surprise was Improv-er, who sat down at the piano and played just about each of the 30 songs in my little songbook. Sometimes even transposing between keys at a glance. So I was able to toss my feelings of musical inadequacy out the window and just enjoy the singing. Not that I'm good at the singing, but I do really enjoy it.

And so this is the start of a new tradition for me. I admit that my family doesn't have many Christmas traditions. My parents are both immigrants and converts to the church. And while I know that my parents have done Christmases with all the trimmings ... Santa, big Christmas tree, lights on the front of the house, etc etc ... it never felt quite right. I remember taking up the mantle one winter when I was home from college (stockings and everything), but it was expensive and not all that much fun. I also remember one Christmas when everyone was so busy that Christmas eve found us without a tree. So, we put a pointsettia plant on top of a horizontally-tilted music stand instead and sang, "O Christmas Stand!" But that's neither here nor there.

These days, my family celebrates Christmas whenever we can all get together. With a nurse, a doctor and a law student, and about half of the family out of state, it's become a necessity.

However, the joy of singing in the season of Christmas is one that just fills me with joy. This rite feels very right. And so, until next year ...