Singing carols and dancing around the tree. (I’m on the right wearing the red Norwegian sweater} This is one of my favorite traditions of Christmas. Organized every year for the past 38 years by our Norwegian language teacher, Ed Egerdahl. A service of music and readings followed by traditional Norwegian food and dancing round the tree.
First there was the preschool “concert”. 
my view of the boy in purple wearing the Christmas hat – of course he was the best – one of my grandchildren
and later there was the Ballard First Lutheran Church choir rehearsal and party
this is the party part
what a neat house down along the shore and bearing a strong resemblance to that of a sea captain. I closed my eyes and thought I was on a ship. Particularly when I kept missing a change in elevation between one room and another. No harm done however and no rocking of the boat. A big thank you to our gracious host.
I mentioned in my previous blog that I had started voice/singing lessons. You might ask why – and I will answer just for the fun of it. For the past few years I have been doing music in some form or other: recorder lessons, clarinet lessons, playing in a band, guitar lessons. Well, now why not singing. My guitar is at sea, along with my clarinet. I have some of my recorders here but have yet to get to a meeting of the Seattle Society of Recorder Players. And there is an excellent voice teacher who has a studio nearby, easy to get to, walking, cycling, or driving.
My first assignment is to learn the first 2 verses of a song of my choice. I chose an old favourite, Home on the Range. First 2 verses of one of the versions follow, sing along if you want to:
Verse 1
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play,
Where seldom is heard, a dis-couraging word,
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Chorus:
Home, home on the range,
Where the deer and the anteloupe play
And seldom is heard a dis-couraging word
And the skies are not cloudy all day
Verse 2
How often at night when the heavens are bright
With the light from the glittering stars,
How I stood there amazed and asked as I gazed,
If there glory exceeds that of ours
Chorus again
Checking in Wikipedia, the song was composed by one Dr. Brewster M. Higley, 1823-1911, and was originally a poem, published in 1873. The music was written by Daniel E. Kelley, a friend of Dr. Higley’s. It was adopted by cowboys and settlers and others and spread across the West in various forms. In 1947 the song was adopted as the official song of the State of Kansas.
Dr. Brewster M. Higley, late 19th century
There’s an interesting recording of the song on the Wikipedia website. A recording made in a penitentiary in Florida in 1939. 3 years after I was born.
