Now that it’s December, I’ve finally listened to some Christmas music. Last night I went to a holiday brass concert. This is an annual affair hosted by the International Women’s Brass Conference. This year was different, though, because this year our school’s high school choir was part of the event.
It was held at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, a ginormous RC church in Baltimore. I’ve been there before. I love the building. It’s so massive. Fortunately, I was there an hour before the event started. It was packed. I sat with Peggy and with Irene.
The concert was great! I was worried about being out on a school night, but the music more than made up for that. My favorites of the evening were the sing-along, and THIS song. It made me teary. It’s called Highland Cathedral. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of it. Because of various life experiences, there aren’t too many Christmas-type songs I don’t know.
The concert was great!! And those bagpipers- bagpipists (what is one who plays the bagpipes called anyway?) were outstanding! And it was so good to see everyone! And there was some guy playing a little shaker thing that I’m pretty sure I could handle. Shake forward, turn wrist, shake.
What did the shakey thing look like, Peggy? Sitting behind a big limestone pillar as we were I couldn’t see much to the right of the directors. At one time I thought I heard a celtic drum called a bodrhan (but it’s not pronounced as it’s spelled..I’ve heard it called a “booREEM” actually.). Was the guy holding from behind what looked like a tight rounded drumskin and hitting it alternately front to back with a small two-headed mallet-y thingy? … OK, maybe I was wrong …sure was “purtiful” nonetheless!
…and once the organ joined in I got glassy-eyed during Highland Cathedral too (big shocker, eh?). Guess the sound brought the last umpteen funerals to mind or something, but it was indeed very moving. Think I’ll go have that piece added to my Pandora.com account…from home…since we can’t do streaming audio from work … and I am at work…still…again…
You know why bagpipers are always walking? They’re trying to get away from the sound.
(Just kidding – I love bagpipes.)
That looks like a glorious way to start your December!
Who knew? I always thought it was because they liked the breeze under their kilts. 😉
That was a great song!
Ha! I laughed aloud!
I used to think that there weren’t too many Christmas songs that I didn’t know either. Until I went to this site.
Smoley Hokes, Bullwinkle – that’s a lot of hymnsnobodyIknowknowseither! So with that many Christmas tunes out there, why is it whenevr I turn on the local All Christmas Music radio station I get either “Iiiii WANa hippa’potamus fer Chrisssmusss” or “Rockin’ around the Christmas tree…”???