We all have our favorites at Christmastime. Some people enjoy listening to Christmas music on the radio...constantly...starting before Halloween...and stopping sometime after Easter...if we're lucky. I am not one of those people. Other people look forward to shopping in crowded stores the day after Thanksgiving. Others might look forward to the homemade eggnog and sugar cookies. Some people can't wait to open presents! Others are happy just making sure those around them are loved. The point is, we all have things we do that make the holidays what they are.
And now to the real point I'm getting at.
A kindergartners idea of a good time at Christmas is not often the same as say, a middle-aged high school choir director's idea of a good time.
To prove my point, I shall recount an event that happened a few years ago.
Every year at my school the local high school choir comes and performs Christmas songs for the kiddies. Now, I may be a bit prejudiced about my own high school's talents, but I think it's safe to say that this high school choir doesn't win many awards in competitions and such. But they try hard and they're not too terrible. Besides, the kids don't know the difference and they think it's pretty cool to have "big kids" come and sing to them.
The problem is this: The high school choir director's idea of good Christmas music is slightly different than 5, 6 and 7 year old's. Every year the choir comes and sings song after song of slow, religious songs. I don't mind the occasional slow religious (and sometimes Latin or German) song. What I do mind is ALL the songs being slow, religious and yes, sometimes in Latin or German. Kids like to hear songs they know. Songs they can sing to. Songs like "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman" (even though no kid actually knows the words to that song except "Frosty the Snowman was a hmm hmm hmm hmm hmmmmm...With a corn cob pipe and a button nose and two eyes made out of coal. OH, Frosty the Snowman! hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmmmmm....)
Back to the point...
A few years ago the choir came to sing to the kids. After what was probably the 6th slow religious song, they started in on the 7th song. It was, of course, slow and not kid-friendly. That's when I heard a little, but definately not quiet, voice from among the kindergarteners say "Not again!" (Picture a little kid sitting cross-legged on the floor, with their chin in their hands, looking very very disappointed.)I tried to stiffle my giggles as the teacher tried to shush the noisy, honest, tell-it-like-it-is kindergartener.
I guess the real moral of the story is: Know Your Nigel, people. Know Your Nigel.
11 years ago
