“God Rest You Merry…”

 

 

            Al and I were given a wonderful gift when Steve and Robin Read invited us to a performance of the “Home for the Holidays Concert” by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, along with our friends, the Verhages. By the time I had thought of going, it was much too late to buy tickets. What a treat that we were able to attend after all, as guests of the Reads!

            The last Christmas concert we attended was on December 17^th, 2021. It was our daughter Shanda’s final concert before retiring from twenty-one years of playing viola with the DSO. Friends and family—many from out of state—gathered at Orchestra Hall in downtown Detroit to support and cheer on Shanda.

This year’s concert would seem different without Shanda after her passing away in October 2022. However, we were looking forward to seeing many of her friends and colleagues on stage.

It certainly was a memory-filled afternoon. The music was fantastic as always, along with two high school choruses and an amazing vocalist, Christian Dante White.

Being a pops concert, there was a mix of music, from a jazzy version of the “Chorus of the Bells” to traditional songs like “Sleigh Ride” with two young boys from the audience providing the sounds of the sleighbells and the cracking of the whip!

We were treated with a couple of new arrangements:  a “Dreidel Sing Along” song for Hanukkah; and a Latin American rendition of the “Sugar Plum Fairy” from the Nutcracker Suite!

During the program, Christian Dante White sang three familiar religious Christmas carols accompanied by the symphony orchestra. His voice was soothing, comforting and inspiring.

 

“Joy to the World…”

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heav’n and nature sing…
(Isaac Watts 1719)

What a wonderful message of joy and a request for every heart, for the whole earth to receive the Lord, the King!

 

Later, he sang “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” a 9^th century Latin song for Advent, kindling hope for Israel and for all mankind in the coming of Emmanuel, “God with us.”

 

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Christian Dante White ended with “Silent Night.” If any song can calm and soothe our souls, this is it! While he was singing, the distractions, busyness and tension from getting ready for the holidays seemed to melt away. Christ… our Savior, our Lord…this season is and should be to celebrate Him!

“Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child!
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth!

(Father Joseph Mohr, lyrics 1816 and Franz Gruber, composer 1817)

Since the program was announced by the director as it commenced, I was surprised and blessed to hear these carols! Wow! If they had made up the entirety of the program, it would have been enough for me.

            Another carol in the orchestral selections was a reminder that nothing should dismay us or discourage us from the knowledge that Jesus came to save us all from sin and from the power of Satan…  “God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen.”

 

God rest you merry, gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
For Jesus Christ, our Saviour
Was born upon this day,
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray.
O tidings of comfort and joy…

(Traditional English Christmas Carol)

            Guess what? The comma comes after “merry”! This old carol is not directed at merry people! It is a statement of encouragement for not only the “gentlemen,” but for all of us.

May we find comfort and peace, may we find rest for our souls as we celebrate the birth and the mission of Jesus.

I came away from the concert with my soul overflowing with beautiful music and my heart filled with Christmas joy. Many thanks to the Reads for gifting Al and me with such a special afternoon!

Our friend Sharon, practicing before the concert!

The DSO with combined high school choirs

Playing the sleigh bells to "Sleigh Ride"

Playing the whip! "Do you like music?" Answer: "Not really!"