Monday, December 14, 2015

Wonderful Christmastime

When we arrived, the serving staff were getting their orders for the day. The event manager was zipping around answering a million questions. The audio/visual crew was making adjustments and fining tuning settings. Everyone worked to the last minute getting everything ready before the doors were opened to the eager crowd.

The Christmas dinner for the Lifewise Program was held in a large convention center, with about 400 people attending. This is an annual event that members look forward to all year. 


We were happy to be part of this large program. And we were delighted that we played at the top of our game. It is rare that we have a professional sound crew handling our needs. We were treated like professional musicians. And we sounded professional, too.


 As we started our set, the folks seated at the table in the very front locked arms and swayed back and forth as they sang along with us. What confidence that gave us! It made us happy to see so many people singing along throughout our performance.


And when we were done, we received a standing ovation from this huge audience, the applause lasting long enough to require three bows. What a perfect way to end our season!

The band will now be on break until after the holidays, taking time to rest and refresh and think up new ways to dazzle our audiences in the coming year.

We all wish you a joyous holiday season and a happy new year!




Wonderful Christmastime, Paul McCartney, 1979




Friday, December 4, 2015

We Need A Little Christmas


Bad news continues to dominate the headlines. And bad things are often happening in people's lives, things we don't know about. Yes, we do need a little Christmas cheer. The Yesterukes always bring smiles and songs, helping to ease the worry, to soothe the soul and lift the spirits.

 
Food and fellowship. It's a combination as old as the ages. Gathering around the table is another way to share that Christmas cheer that we all need.


For this one afternoon, there was a reason to leave behind the lists and the chores that come with this season. There was time to visit with friends and to keep those connections strong. Time to catch up on family news and to give a hug and to get a hug.


After the program was over, and we had packed up and headed home, we began to receive emails from folks telling us how much they needed to hear us. Sometimes we heard stories of why our Christmas cheer was so needed. We are glad to be the ones bringing glad tidings and cheer. It is a happy thing that we do.



We Need A Little Christmas, Angela Lansbury, 1966