I remember one night riding a school bus with fifteen other fifth grade in our Catholic school gray and blue plaid uniforms. Sister Gloria, in her full black habit trimmed with white – we couldn’t even see her hair - directed the bus driver to our first stop, a nursing home. We had practiced, memorized and harmonized for weeks - Angels We Have Heard on High, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful, The First Noel and many more - the repertoire of songs we would sing that night and at midnight mass a few days later.
One of the later stops included my home where my parents opened the door when they heard us singing outside and smiled. After our songs, they offered us ojarascas, delicious Mexican sugar cookies, and hot chocolate. I was wearing my blue cardigan for the chilly night in Laredo, Texas - nothing like the winters I now experience in Colorado.
Since then I’ve seen Christmas carolers at malls, churches, and at A Christmas Carol at Denver Colorado’s Stage Theater – an excellent production. But no one’s ever knocked at my door to sing Christmas carols. Until this past Sunday night more than forty years later.
Thirty minutes after I arrived at my brother’s house in Laredo, thirteen students from Laredo’s Texas A & M University (TAMIU) three year old music department filed into the family room. My sister-in-law, Bertha had arranged for them to visit so that her mom and aunt, both struggling with age related issues would enjoy the Christmas season. Most of the six young women had Santa hats on, red sweaters and black pants. The seven young men were dressed with white shirts and black pants. Their goal - to raise money to attend the Texas Music Education Association Convention February in San Antonio, Texas by caroling during the season. Their financial ambition would become our pleasure.
One said, Thank you for inviting us to your house. Although we are all into music, not all of us are singers, but we will do our best.
And they did. Accompanied by a keyboard they serenaded us with six not so usual carols. They sang Silent Night bilingually - several verses in English the last verses in Spanish. In the middle of the concert, four of the students removed one cello, two violins and one viola out of their cases while the others stood to the side. One of the four, said how the cold snap affected the wood and tuning their instruments took more time. It was in the low 40’s. Not even close to the minus 10 degree night I’d just experienced the previous week in Denver. But the humidity seemed to touch my bones and consequently I always feel colder in Laredo.
One of the selections was titled Santa at the Symphony – a blend of classical music and Christmas carols including Mozart’s Eine kleineNachtmusik, Silent Night, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 and The Twelve Days of Christmas. The other string quartet selection included Alleluia intertwined with ‘Tis the season, Silent Night and others. They put their instruments away and ended with Feliz Navidad.
At a very inexpensive $30 or so a visit, I didn’t know how they would reach their goal. But they proudly assured us that they were at least half way towards it. I imagine if an organization in Denver was doing the same, they would charge a lot more. And I would think that the students in Laredo, Texas, probably could too. But in charing less, they bring so much of the true season of Christmas to more homes.
My brother, nephews, sister-in-law, her aunt and mom and I were captivated by the music and the chorus. They left us smiling and joyful. I was taken back to my childhood when Christmas was about family, gifts, tamales, turkey, dressing and vacation. And this year, thanks to Bertha, my visit started by taking me back and enjoying the wonderful music.
I saw the smiling faces of the nurses and older patients at the nursing home that my classmates and I had visited in fifth grade. And I imagine that night, they remembered their family and enjoyed our not-so-perfect voices as we sang our Christmas carols.
