Several times I have remarked and posted as to how this area remains what Norman Rockwell depicted. It is an unsought benefit of living here. Of course we all know this ideal can never be achieved, but the essence around which the faults occur are unmistakable. This place will die on that hill, I think. I hope.
Last night Mrs Epa and I went to a concert at a local church featuring a group of singers. There were about 30 singers and the Church was about 80% full with about 300 people. The music went from Bach and Brahms, to the more contemporary favorites, and one song - an ancient Hebrew song which was clearly a little bit different. Certainly these two lonely Jews at Christmas were surprised. Big pipe organ and a matronly accompanist running up and down the stairs song by song from the piano to the organ. At the end she got two dozen red roses.
I made a BIG mistake not taking my camera. Many others did.
They tried one gospel song of the season and it came off like Pat Boone doing Ray Charles, but you have to give them credit for trying. Otherwise a wonderful, colorful, local built, brewed and distilled presentation for about 90 minutes.
At intermission 5 local ladies (looked high school age to me) performed a recorder concert which had me looking around for Henry's six wives.
By the time they got to O Come All Ye Faithful (next to last) about 60% of the crowd was singing (ironically I remember the bass line), and joined in. Hippie heretical streak, I suppose.
The economy is terrible.
The stores which are busy are the Dollar Tree, Family Dollar Store, Ocean State Job Lots, and Marden's (the brainchild of the new gov).
While unemployment is not especially worse than anywhere else, UNREPORTED NON EMPLOYMENT by now is staggering.
But there they were without any sign of it, in a small town in Maine, still the same.
1942.
Thank God.
And thanks for the refresh, people. Tonight we are going to another concert this time featuring only sacred vocal music at a church with a pipe organ installed before/during the Civil war by some big time organ honcho from Germany. That's where the crowd started singing on a July 4th few years ago.
You can bathe in it around here.
We all need to.
Sometime.
3 comments:
I actually had the Southern California equivalent last night; a big church, a rock band, singing O Little Town of Bethlehem with drums and electric guitar, but the Pastor talked about the economy and what our Church can and will and does do to help, and we understood that we are all in this together.
And, above all of the pain (because after all, remember, California is in the top five states for unemployment) soared the praises of people for their God and for the beautiful life we have to share.
By the way, here's what we closed the service with last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CANPGvvq1gE&feature=player_embedded
Epa...the ITF is right across the border...we'll come up and chat some time.
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