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It's Beginning to Sound Like Christmas

There's nothing like a Christmas concert to get you in the Christmas spirit. Last night was no exception when we attended the Sierra Vista Community Chorus concert.  Carols, Christmas songs, ballerinas, hammered dulcimer, handchimes, and the bones made it a special evening.

This particular chorus has a wide demographic, ranging in age from 15 to 91. The chorus mostly leans toward the upper end of the age spectrum. Sharon Keene, a retired high school choral teacher from Illinois led the 80 plus voices. They gave us a wonderful evening of music all well seasoned with humor. Ensembles gave us plenty of laughs with songs about that awful gift of fruitcake, wishing for a hippopotamus for Christmas, and seeing Mommy kiss Santa Claus. 


Jonny Bones - photo SV Herald


A special appearance by Jonny Bones, who is a well known street performer in Tombstone joined in on the Brazilian Christmas Carol and Boogie Woogie Santa, playing...well you guessed it, the bones. Jonny, dressed in a top hat wrapped in red silk, a candy cane striped vest, tambourines on each knee with trailing ribbons, and amazing plaid trousers joyfully clacked and clattered intricate rhythms to the music.

 Sierra Vista is culturally diverse mostly because of the military and gives our area a certain flair. The the lights dimmed for the final song which was Silent Night.  All were invited to sing the first verse and then three soloists in turn sang in Korean, Spanish, and German. We all joined in for the final stanza in English.  "Silent night, holy night, Son of God, love's pure light."  It was a fitting and beautiful way to end the evening.  I think Franz Gruber would have approved.

Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht,
Alles schläft; einsam wacht
Nur das traute hochheilige Paar.
Holder Knabe im lockigen Haar,
Schlaf in himmlischer Ruh!

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