CHRISTMAS, 1980
Across
the Fence
By
Arvord Abernethy
Remember
I told you that if you could attend the Christmas program and cantata at
the
Baptist
Church
you would hear a lively and spirited program?
The
children sang some songs before the adult choir performed and that same
description would well fit part of the children’s program, especially
the part of the three and four year olds had. Seems like Matthew Poteet
and Bradley Haile each felt they should hold the microphone, and for a
time “Peace on earth, goodwill towards boys” was gone.
The
adult choir, which was composed of people from several churches, did a
splendid job. The solos, duets and groups did such a fine work, that
altogether, it made a program well worth attending.
Phil
Burnaman, the music director of the
First
Baptist
Church
, can be given credit for much of the success of the performance. Phil
realized that all the singers were doing what they did because they
enjoyed singing, yet he wanted everyone to do their very best, so he put
them through some hard work, and would sometimes seem to bear down
pretty hard on them.
After
a long period of cantata work, Alyce Ann Poteet sat down and wrote the
following poem.
Once
upon a time at First Baptist
In
a place called
Hamilton
.
There
was someone who led the choir
With
both a whip and a gun.
Hark!
Now do not scoop that note,
And
please don’t go flat.
When
you do sing your note in turn
For
Pete’s sake do not splat.
Sing
them high, sing them low,
Sing
them all around.
But
you'll know you've sung them wrong
When
you see that man Phil frown.
Open
that mouth real wide,
Raise
the eyebrows high as a hill.
And
shake those tonsils to and fro,
But
keep your eyes on Phil.
Hold
those notes as long as you can,
Even
until you turn blue.
And
do not even take a breath,
Cause
you know who is watching you.
But
when the song is at its end,
And
we have our accolades,
We
can thank our lucky stars,
For
the difference that Phil has made.
It
was my pleasure to attend the Candlelight Service at the Presbyterian
Church on Christmas Eve. They had an interesting program planned, but
the impressive part was when each one lighted their candle from someone
and they in turn lighted the candle of the person next to them. The
lights were then turned off and it was amazing how light it was with
everyone just holding one candlelight of power. It was under such a
solemn atmosphere we sang “Silent Night” to close out the program.
It
may not have been planned for the service at the Presbyterian Church to
coincide with other candlelight services over the country and also the
lighting of the White House Christmas Tree for the 417 seconds in memory
of the 52 hostages who have been held for 417 days, but it was almost at
the same time that the candles were on here when the lights were on at
the tree in Washington.
We
can all feel for those people in homes where for the second year one of
their loved ones has been held hostage. May the time soon come when
there will be "Peace on earth, Good will toward men."