Category: Christmas

Looking Forward to a Very Merry Christmas

12/6/2024

Stringing up lights, setting up the Christmas Tree, festooning the house with cherished decorations from Christmases past, watching Christmas movies, singing Christmas carols... well these things might not happen in much of a way for me this season.

This fall, I had contractors start a project to renovate my basement. (It is a slow process.) We had to completely remove everything from the downstairs. All that stuff is currently in my dining room, music room, and garage. Also, my daughter's family moved in temporarily with me until they get their housing situated in New York where her husband's new job is located. All their stuff had to fit in somewhere. So, the places to decorate are much fewer this year.

I guess we will just set up the Christmas tree and hang the stockings. Without a doubt, we will be attending concerts and singing Christmas songs. That can be done without getting out a lot of boxes. Don't know if I can convince some of the grandkids to hang the lights outside this year. Here's to hoping that happens.

The book I have been working on to give as Christmas gifts this year just came back from the printers. This book is different from the others I've done. In telling the story of how my Dad told his stories, the book had to be word-heavy. I wanted to use his words as much as possible. Believe me, I edited out a lot, and still had so many words.

My nephew Bob Gabbitas wrote a magical score of program music illustrating my dad's story "Johnny in the Moon." He gave permission to use it to make a movie of my retelling of my Dad's story. My sister Barbara Acheson offered to do the reading.

So, soon, through our collaborative efforts, we'll have a movie of the picture book "Johnny in the Moon" posted on my YouTube Channel just in time for Christmas.

Incidently, links and information about how to get the rights to perform the Wind Quintet music for "Johnny in the Moon" will be posted along with other information on how to order a copy of the children's picture book.

Looking forward to a very merry Christmas this year!

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Popular Shows for Christmastime

12/4/2023

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Several years ago now, I was approached to write some songs for a collection of stories for an education company that was teaching English to children in Asian countries. These stories were selected from some of the most famous folktales, fables and original tales from all over the world, but more particularly from England and Europe. One of the stories that caught my attention was "Dick Whittington and His Cat." I had never heard of it before and was entranced by its charm. As I did some research into its origin and history, I was amazed by how it came to be.

"Dick Whittington and His Cat." is a very old English tale presented first in Pantomime form in England about 1605. It is loosely based on the story of a real person Richard Whittington who was elected Lord Mayor of London three times, in 1397, 1406, and again in 1419. English Pantomime was a much-loved popular entertainment for families from the English Renaissance (roughly 1520-1620). Certain stock players were expected in English Pantomime --- the Every-man (a normal, likeable young man that things happen to), a Love Interest (usually a young, feisty, fair maiden), the Do-good characters (kind persons, fairy godmother, beneficent wealthy person), the Dame (an extremely fat, over–the-top character who has a garish taste in clothing and wears outlandish wigs and make-up — usually played by a man), the Villain (ruffian, bill collector, jealous witch, evil Rat King, etc.), a Comic Duo who provide slapstick comedy, and at least one Funny Animal.

Audience participation in the way of cheering, hissing, and booing was encouraged, as well as a sing-along during or at the end of the performance.

The great William Shakespeare himself used this framework for many of his comedies!

The idea of using this recipe to create a Children's Musical piece was intriguing. I pondered my approach for a couple of years. Then, I took two months writing it. Renamed The Adventures of Dick Whittington it went into production in January of 2016 and premiered in March. This was such a fun show to do! See pictures from it's production at Photos from Productions The Adventures of Dick Whittington 2016.

I have done research on some of the many versions of this play that have been produced over the years. Apparently, it has been popular, particularly at Christmas time, in England for over 400 years! It has a pedigree that I had to respect. In my research, I never found it produced as a Children's Theater piece for child actors to perform, though. Mostly, it is presented by adult actors to an audience that may include children. But there are many versions in storybook form for children. Curious.

Pantomime in England is traditionally done at Christmas time. It is considered family entertainment and any number of stories are presented -- usually folktales such as "Cinderella," "Robin Hood," "Jack and the Beanstalk", and many others. "Dick Whittington and His Cat" just happens to be one of the more popular stories.

This song from the show has become quite popular for Elementary School concert programs. "Let Kindness Begin with Me" 2-Part Children's Chorus.

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Planning a Holiday Concert

11/13/2023

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Bailey Kids singing "Don't Wait 'til the Night Before Christmas to Be Good" with Betsy at the piano

For many years, I was responsible for planning, rehearsing and directing the Elementary school's Holiday Concerts. When my older kids were in Elementary School, we lived in southern California. This was in the 1980's just after Proposition 13 had passed taking away funding for Music, Art, and Physical Education in the public schools in California.

Our enterprising PTA president approached me with an idea. She said that we could still put on a Holiday Concert with the kids as long as we rehearsed it after school with volunteer help. She thought that there might be 25-30 kids that would show up for rehearsals, and she assured me that it would be no trouble at all.

NO TROUBLE AT ALL?!?!?!?!?!?!

Well, weren't we surprised when 250 kids came for the first rehearsal? To say the few of us in charge were ill-prepared would be an understatement. For the next rehearsal, I called for more back-up volunteers. We even had to make arrangements with the Middle School across the street to use their Gym for the concert performance. (Unfortunately, I was always playing the piano, so I could never get good pictures of these shows.)

Fortunately, the kids and their parents were so grateful to have some kind of music in their school, that we literally had no problems getting lots of support. For the next few years (that I directed the program), the excitement only grew. I think there were 350+ kids in the later shows.

We always wrote our own scripts and found or wrote our own music. Some of the themes we used were "Holiday Harmony" (featuring standard holiday songs from around the world), "Be a Santa" (featuring songs about giving), "A Specials Christmas" (featuring songs from the TV specials we loved like "Rudolph" or "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"), "Under the Christmas Tree" (featuring songs about toys coming to life under the Christmas Tree) and "The Greatest Christmas Card in the Whole Wide World" (featuring songs from the heartfelt messages in Christmas cards). In those days, we were allowed to use Christmas themes and songs.

Through it all, I was lucky to have an ace up my sleeve. My aunt Janie Thompson had been doing Christmas shows forever with her BYU show groups as well as our extended family. All I had to do was ask, and she would send me music, scripts, and themes she had used.

"Holiday Harmony" and "Be a Santa" were themes I used that came from a songs Janie wrote or arranged. In those concerts we also used several of her arrangements such as "Jingle Bells" and "Christmas Alphabet."

"Under the Christmas Tree" was a theme song I wrote from one of Janie's ideas. In that show we used several of her songs like "I Want a Dolly to Wind Up," "Raggedy Ann and Andy," and "Don't Wait 'Til the Night Before Christmas to Be Good."

This year, I wrote a children's picture book about the life of my Aunt Janie.
"Janie Thompson: The Girl from Nowhere Who Went Everywhere" is now available for purchase just in time for Christmas! This book focuses on how Janie had high standards and never compromised them. (This book will be useful to help the grandchildren learn about morals and entertaining.)

I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful influence in my life!

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The Season of Gift-Giving

12/8/2022

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"Fourteen hundred dollars!"

As I listened to the commentator on the radio say that most people will spend $1400 on Christmas gifts this year, I couldn't believe it. He also said that most of that expense will be on credit.

My first thought was that I obviously don't give enough. My next thought was that I must disappoint my family because I can never think of very good gifts to give anyway.

But then I remember that I really have too many people in my family that I potentially could give gifts to. Seven children, their spouses, 25 grandchildren, brothers, sisters, cousins...where do you draw the line before you go broke?

Many of my friends have just a few grandchildren. They like to lavish gifts upon them. (They say that's their love language.) I guess lavishing expensive gifts on kids is not my love language.

Fortunately, my children have told me that they do not expect me to lavish expensive gifts on the grandchildren. They prefer that I make the effort to come see the kids' concerts and games and just be there. That's enough.

But, I always want to give something...something a little bit special.

So, I a few years ago, I came up with the idea that I would share family stories in the form of a new Children's Picture book each Christmas. The first five books have been about my own children. Then I wrote a few about stories from my own childhood. This year, I have branched out.

The new story is about my Grandmother Lora Harmon Thompson. When she was a little girl, she loved to sing. She loved singing so much that when she helped out in the family's co-op store, the customers often asked her to sing for them. (Yes, the singing gene is strong in our family!)

But one day, her father was called on a mission. The older kids in the family thought of ways they could help earn money to send to their father on his mission. Lora wanted to do something, too, but she was just 6 years old.

Then she had a brilliant thought. The next time the customers asked her to sing, she held out her hand and said, "Nickel, please." And that's how she sent $98.50 to her father on his mission. Pretty good earnings for a 6-year-old in 1898!

I hope my family will appreciate having a Family History story for Christmas this year!

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Looking Forward to a Very Merry Christmas

Popular Shows for Christmastime

Planning a Holiday Concert

The Season of Gift-Giving

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