Music's powers

Juliet Chung has an interesting article in WSJ from Saturday on the more obscure powers of music. Researchers believe hearing music increases brain activity and may help restore brain function after a stroke. You can read the whole there here. Thanks to Fred B. for giving me a hard copy of the article.

Welcome the Child carol concert

This coming Sunday the music ministry will present a carol service we are calling Welcome the Child. The title is drawn from a modern Christmas carol by Marty Haugen that will be part of the program. In fact Haugen wrote and arranged an additional 12 or so carols to constitute his own carol service using the same title. I performed that entire program some years ago in Richmond. I've used several of the carols in various settings over the years. This year I am using several, but not all, of Haugen's arrangements for this carol service.

Our Chancel Choir will sing "Welcome the child," "Pat-a-pan," "Good Christian friends, rejoice," "A stable lamp is lighted," "Twas in the moon of winter-time" (all by Haugen), plus Andre Thomas' "African noel." The Prophets of Praise will sing two additional Haugen arrangements: a new carol called "Hodie Christus natus est" ("Christ is born today") and a medley of "Infant holy, infant lowly" and "Silent night, holy night."

Our children's choirs, the Aerie Singers and the Carol Choir will sing Haugen's "Carol at the Manger."

The Tune Weavers will sing a setting of "Lo, how a rose e'er-blooming" and will be the TB voices in an SATB setting of "While shepherds watched their flocks by night," to the tune SHERBORNE in a new arrangement by Winges from OCP. We'll have four SA choir singers to fill out the octet format we'll use for this performance.

The Adult Handbell choir will ring a setting of "In the bleak mid-winter." The youth ringers, Aaron's Bells, will ring a setting of "Good King Wenceslas." We will have a piano/organ duet setting of "Joy to the world."

It will be a great program! It will begin at 7PM and child care will be available. Please join us, and support the hard work and dedication of our church's musicians, and hear some wonderful Christmas music!

By the way, the adult bell ringers and the Tune Weavers will be the musical diversion at an open house at the Presbyterian Heritage Center in Montreat, this Wednesday afternoon from 3PM. Drop by, see the center, nosh, and hear some nice carols sung and rung by some friendly folks!

La posada or Las posadas

The weekday school (preschool) here at BMPCNC has for several years held a reenactment of the search by Mary and Joseph for a place of shelter before the birth of the Messiah, Jesus. Based on a Mexican festival, the preschool's version is very cute, pleasingly multi-cultural and a much beloved part of their year.

However, I made the mistake of poking my nose in about the title of the event. The culture here uses "la posada." For years I have used "las posadas." I raised the difference with Jennifer R. who has striven to find the diplomatic middle way. Alice P. has her sources; Phil C. studied Spanish in school, and I have my precedents. We all have cited our sources and invoked our authorities, to the end that we don't know quite what to call this festival!

I did a bit of research and found a pretty even split. This is the text of an email I circulated today to try to explain the differences and seek peace amongst the church staff!

"It looks like the jury will have to remain deadlocked. After a little bit of research I have found authoritative references using both la posada and las posadas. Not knowing Spanish myself, it seems that the difference is merely a matter of grammar: singular or plural. Shelter or shelters, inn or inns.

It seems to me that because the nine-day festival moves from place to place, including several stops, “shelters” would be more reasonable; but on the other hand, the characters stop at one potential “shelter” per night, making that a reasonable option.

Here are the sites I investigated:

http://www.santas.net/mexicanchristmas.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Posadas

http://www.cinnamonhearts.com/LasPosadas.htm

http://www.theholidayspot.com/christmas/worldxmas/mexico.htm

Ultimately, if you are willing to concede that I am not insane, I am willing to do that same with you! Go with what you know and/or have become familiar and comfortable with. Just know that as with so many things, there’s more than one way to skin a cat."

I threw that last metaphor in just for kicks and to muddy the issue just a wee bit more!

If you have an informed opinion, please weigh in using the comment button. I'd love to hear your information/sources, and any experiences you have had with this Christmas festival in your community or church. Feliz navidad!