Posted by ws1 on: December 17 2009

Though I had a somewhat Lutheran upbringing, and had many a happy holiday season - I am not particularly crazy about Christmas.  When I (stupidly) utter this sentiment to family and friends, I get an embarrassing, and near-total verbal ass-kicking.  "HOW can you NOT like CHRISTMAS?!".. Then begins a defensive and strangely predictable conversation about those normal things that people like me gripe about this time of year; commercialism, the partial (or total) absence of the original concept of christmas, augmented traditions divorced from their humane origins, holiday stress and expectations - and just not liking red and green together. Actually, I don't even particularly like egg nog, or cinnamon - or most Christmas music (Mommy Got Runover By a Reindeer, Jingle Bells et. al.).   Bleh. 

All that said, I don't hate Christmas.  I love spending time with family.  But do my best to manage my expectations, and to keep calm in the lead up to the big day.

So last night, it was shocking to me to find tears in my eyes when I went to listen to my (wonderful and talented) cousin, who sings with the SMHS A Cappella Choir for their 'Annual Winter Concert'.  

Something about the harmonizing and collective optimism of young voices all listening carefully to each other, simultaneously and willfully performing something truly well-crafted makes me happy and hopeful (and apparently sappy again about the Holidays).  I could go on about how it reminded me about what's best about humanity, but you know that better than I do.

I was in such a good space after the concert that even egg nog sounded good. So I had some. And I still hate it.   

But you should still listen to this recording. If it does nothing for you, you might want to check your name tag, because you might in fact, be the devil.

The recording, made last night (with my phone) is of 'We Three Kings' sung by the A Cappella and Madrigal singers combined.  It was composed by John Hopkins and arranged by Jack Eskew and Bruce Healey.  It's not the best quality, but it gets the job done.   

Categories: opinion, community

Tags: christmas in santa barbara, santa barbara, opinion, sbopinion, madrigals, choir, a cappella, smhs, san marcos high school, chorus, royal knights