Gaudete—Rejoice—Sunday at St Patrick's Co-Cathedral

Gaudete, or Rejoice, from the Latin first word of the introit for the day’s Mass. This is about all there is for extra holiday decoration as late as 12 December. For us, Christmas starts with Midnight Mass early 25 December. But then we feast for at least 12 days in a row—The Twelve Day of Christmas—finally becoming sober on 6 Jan or Epiphany or what my wife calls Russian Christmas.

Program for Emmanuel Baptist's "A Christmas to Remember"

This was the program from this past weekend’s Singing Christmas Tree Redux at Emmauel Baptist. Put it on your calendar for next year. These folks are talented and tell a really good story. Mary really looked like a teen-ager heavy with child as she slowly walked toward Bethlehem.

The annual Billings Community Band Christmas Concert was yesterday afternoon. Another note for your 2011 diary. Good ensembles, especially the saxophone group. That baritone sax was very strong. Flute choir had an alto and bass flute in addition to the usual size. A lot of instruments of color in the band, like 3 bassoons, some bass clarinets, a couple of oboes, and a partridge in a pear tree.

Nice to hear the arrangements of a lot of Christmas tunes, rather than Holiday tunes. None of the PC stuff for this group.

The leaning Christmas tree, above right, has been improved by a nice ornament from the Billings Mustangs.

This was a marvelous musical show with a lot of attention to detail. It was an inspired telling of our Christmas story with enough of the joy-filled mystery of the Incarnation to satisfy a theology professor and enough pure entertainment schlock to satisfy the ordinary Hollywood pagan. Wow. Check these folks out when you get the chance.

I was starting to get a little worried that maybe global warming or our recent financial messes had, like the swallows failing to come back to Capistrano, caused the annual migration of Salvation Army bell ringers to move somewhere else. But I was wrong. I saw my first Bell Ringer at Albertson’s on Rehberg and Grand on I think it was St Juan Diego’s Day. The cheerful ringer told me he was from Arizona and he enjoyed the cold weather.

2. You don’t believe in Santa Claus.

3. You are Santa Claus.

4. You look like Santa Claus.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

The Meistersingers, Westwinds, Vox Nova, and the Chamber Choir, all vocal groups from Billings West High School, together with their instrumental friends were in good voice Thursday evening at Mount Olive Lutheran Church. Parents, parishioners and alumni filled the sanctuary. This was billed as a Holiday Concert. And it was, and curiously enough the holiday celebrated was the Nativity, commonly known as Christmas. The brass quintet was a little too loud for the Chamber Choir and the Meistersingers had some trouble with entrances in the Hallelujah Chorus but these kids sang with passionate hearts and the audience knew it.

The numbers that really stood out were the comic Straight No Chaser arrangement of The Twelve Days of Christmas by the Westwinds; Elgar’s The Snow by all the ladies was splendidly mystical and musical; and What Child Is This? by the Meistersingers.

A nice touch was ending with Beautiful Savior by everybody including alumni. I noticed some recent graduates among the guys and a number of proud moms and maybe a few dads amongst the alumni. It takes a community to raise great kids.

First of all there is Thanksgiving with the Nutcracker Ballet, usually from somewhere in the Northwest, in late November. Then there are a heavenly host full of concerts by the Community Orchestra and Band, the Al Bedoo Chanters, the Magic City Singers, Rocky Mountain College Festival Lessons and Carols, the high school bands and choirs, Bellissimo, Messiah Festival, not to forget the offerings of Billings Studio Theatre and Venture Theatre, and then another Nutcracker, this time from Moscow, a trip down Memory Lane with the Kingston Trio on New Years Eve, Midnight Masses and all the other Christmas celebrations. Happy Holy Days.