Divisions On A Ground

Day 69: There were six of us, just enough that the more experienced musicians could carry those who were less adept at recorder, and we played a range of instruments from tenor to sopranino. Bruce wanted a bass, but our stringent budget wouldn't allow. Oh, but of the lot of us, he deserved one! Bruce was without a doubt the most proficient player among us and surprisingly, he was the only member of our group who couldn't read a note of music, committing to memory his part as I played it for him or improvising his own accompaniments. We called ourselves "The CPR Consort," a joking reference to the Cheap Plastic Recorders our troupe carried while strolling through neighborhoods of Olympia, wandering minstrels spreading Christmas cheer. The better wooden instruments were reserved for indoor performance, unsuited for use in the cold and moist winter conditions of the Pacific Northwest. Under my direction, we played at malls, at hospitals and at retirement homes, and the same six of us (give or take the occasional member) doubled as "The Dozemary Singers," costumed in period dress to present an a capella selection of lesser-known mediaeval Christmas songs.

It seems to me that those were simpler times. Carolers could wander the streets without fear of being pelted with snowballs, rocks or being taunted or mugged. It was considered rude for performers to ask for payment, but if a homeowner offered you hot cider or cookies, you accepted them with a gracious "thank you" and rewarded his kindness with another piece. You sang or played for the joy of making music, for raising the spirits of your listeners, for the feeling of community and good will engendered by giving of your talent. When your music was made manifest by mist rising before your face or curling like smoke from the recorder, when your fingers grew creaky with the cold and your tremolos were unintentional, you nevertheless found it hard to say, "Enough, I want to go somewhere warm."

To my way of thinking, today's world could use some old-fashioned "CPR" to put the warmth back in Christmas, to give it heart.