I had the bouquet carefully hidden at home. At 5:30 exactly, I went to the church and unlocked the doors, bouquet in hand but who should follow me in but Vera and Alice, very early for the pre-concert rehearsal. I quickly covered the bouquet with my coat, hoping I wouldn't squash it.
The next hour was a flurry of getting everyone the information they needed, organizing two Sunday school choirs who had never rehearsed with us, warming up the chancel choir, finding locations in the church for the hammer dulcimer player, calming down the teenage trumpet player, and running from one end of the church to the other.
Finally, the audience assembled and we began with a trumpet call, a choral piece and the invocation and we were off an running. I found the one thing I had neglected was a chair for me, so I perched myself on a step beside the altar, hidden behind the piano.
The two combined children's choirs with 50 voices sang the chorus of "Halle, Halle, Halle" with the 30 voice chancel choir. One boy became so excited he danced. We were enchanted. During our finale, "Holy is the Newborn Child", Vera wailed out her solo to perfection. Then came the presentation of the flowers, thankfully un-squashed, for her 75 years of singing with a choir. I became quite emotional during it, but Vera was as calm as could be...but really surprised.
So goes another Christmas event. Parties, one mine, and Christmas Eve to go.
The munchies came afterward. Always does after a performance.
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