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?!?!?!?!?!?!
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.
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."
"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!
"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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