First.Annual.Barbara Lewis Christmas Concert in Montreal:
Atwater Library on Thursday, Dec. 5th, 12:30 – 1:30. Free!
The mood will be intimate, warm, cozy and “old-time.” (Song list here.)
I.love.Christmas. And though I’ve been teased mercilessly about my overflowing Christmas spirit through the years, the feeling has not diminished.
I am not a religious person. But at Christmas time, I am transported by carols of all kinds – religious or not. I start listening to my huge collection of holiday songs in early November.
And in my car, as soon as it is available, I tune in to a carol-only radio station that is piped into Canada from the U.S.
Why?
Perhaps, in part because my mother made Christmas so magical for my late brother, Jim and me. (See us in our Santa-glory in the photo.) Jim and I would pop mounds of popcorn and string it on long pieces of thick thread along with cranberries, as we listened to and sang along with Christmas music. We made and painted gingerbread cookies with holes in them so that they too could be hung on the tree. We wrote lots of Christmas cards – for weeks – before December 25th. And we helped my mom prepare pounds of Christmas cakes by taking turns stirring the huge tub of ingredients – sticky fruits, rum and all.
My mom made many of our Christmas gifts. For me: original-looking Barbie-doll clothes and accessories (tiny, hand-made skis, for example.) For Jim: sports sweaters and warm socks for his outdoor games. She also made many school clothes for me. And while I imagine I appeared a tad eccentric, I also got used to not looking like other kids. I think that helped me become a stronger person as I set out on an artistic career, later in my life.
I also love the feeling of increased friendship between people during the holidays. I look forward to the first (somewhat mystical) snowfall. And the lights on trees, and the extra candles glowing. I am not foolish enough to imagine that we all get happier in late November. With the holidays comes a lot of pain and feelings of loneliness for many of us. But there is also a sense of hopefulness that bubbles up during the holidays. I imagine that it is a sense that life could be so much different if only we could see what lies beneath the surface.
At holiday-time, be it Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa etc. we are allowed to take a breath and wonder how life could be different – fuller, richer, kinder, deeper. And with all that in mind, many years ago, I started an annual Christmas concert that I used to perform at Ogilvy’s Tudor Hall in Montreal, Canada. They decorated the hall with numerous fancy Christmas trees. And in Olgivy fashion, the room looked glorious! It sounded great too, with all the wood on the floor and walls.
I am going to start an annual concert again. This first one will be at the Atwater Library on Thursday, Dec. 5th, 12:30 – 1:30. The mood will be intimate, warm, cozy and “old-time.”
The remarkable Chad Linsley will be playing the piano. After a 45 minute concert, (Some surprising music!) – we’ll have a sing along.
It’s all free. Please join me, if you are able and nearby. Next year, (Yes, I’m already thinking about it… ) I plan something a bit different – with other musical friends joining me onstage. This year, it’s me and Chad and You! – if you can come.