The Christmas Holidays have arrived!
With the arrival of the aforementioned vacation, comes at a price for the local
shops. Aside from making a majority of their profit from the student population
which makes up well over a third of the city's overall population due to the
two universities and various higher education colleges which have left this
weekend - the city feels a little deflated. Despite this, the Market Square is
resplendent with white Christmas lights in the shape of artistic baubles which
overlook the actual square itself filled with the annual German Market and
temporary ice rink. Lots of last minute shoppers fill the city all looking for
last minute bargains, of which I am not one of the partakers.
And
now finally it is Christmas Eve, and the onslaught of Christmas services and
lack of sleep, of which includes the Crib Service, Midnight Mass, and the
Christmas Day Eucharist in one church followed immediately by the same service
in another church – begins this afternoon. All my hard work leading up to these
services which started about a month ago has pulled off and I am ready for
whatever the diocese and deanery throws my way.
I am no scrooge and nor am I one of those people in society who
talk about how "Christmas is over commercialised" - I personally
prefer a quiet Christmas. There is so much pressure to fit and conform to
society - and indeed my Christmases are always chopped up and dissected by the
numerous Christmas services which occur with a large frequentation over the
initial Christmas period. Despite this, in regards to food which as family
tradition has always had it, Christmas dinner on Christmas, after the crib service
and before midnight mass was always done to nothing less than perfection and
pulling in all the trimmings and extras you could imagine. My childhood
Christmases are of legend now; but to this day, one cannot help but get excited
to see what is in actual fact a feast laid on the table before you. My younger
self could not contain myself at all the amazing food set before me, and if you
ask my parents to this day - they will adamantly say that I am no different to
this day.
This year as I have returned home to my parents for Christmas and my
old role as an organist is relived for a few days - I only have the four
services of the Carol Service, Crib Service, Midnight Mass and the Christmas
Morning Service. It will bring back so many memories playing the organ to all the
festive favourite carols - I used to have such fun playing the organ parts - it
will be when I do them this year, provided my fingers remember their old ways!
In regards to my organ work, of course I have
prepared seasonal favourites for my postludes, but I have included some “Easter
eggs” if you will (I don’t know what the Christmas equivalent is for this) –
things that will surprise the congregation if they listen hard enough!
Unfortunately I am not in my old church this year, I am playing in the main
church of a local town – with a nice big choir to boot – tonight and tomorrow’s
service should go down a storm. Quite literally and physically pulling the
stops out, is what for me, being an organist at Christmas is about. Filling the
church with what I hope will be glorious sounds emitting from the pipes is what
I will be trying to achieve – let’s hope no ciphers or dying of wind chests
happens on my watch tonight.
Last time I played in this church, the blower to
the organ died and so what can only be described as the sound of a dying duck
was emitted from the organ as it tried to squeeze out the remaining air from
the wind chest. I was mortified to say the least but luckily there were two
strong men in the congregation who were prepared to work the old bellows at the
back of the organ so everything went as smoothly as I could have hoped past
that point. Luckily, this church obviously had forgotten this had happened;
otherwise they wouldn’t be so keen to have me back. And so Christmas day itself
will be a combination of waking up early, showering, having breakfast, rushing
off to the service, coming home, eating Christmas Dinner and finally sleeping!
This will be the last post of this year – and my,
what a year it has been. 2014 has passed through safely enough, with enough
illness, tiredness, heartbreak, romance, murder, tragedies for the world in a
lifetime. Despite this, I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a most
joyful New Year. Let us wait and see what the year 2015 brings us!
On a side but not as unimportant note; lots of
elderly people spend Christmas alone, as many of them have either no family, or
do not have the capability emotionally or physically to move and or see people
to celebrate it. So if you have a spare moment, go and spend some time with
someone lonely this Christmas – it might not make yours or seem that important to you, but it will certainly
make theirs.
Thank you, and goodnight for now.
The Lonely, but busy, Artiste.
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