Sounds of the Season 25
Christmas Day, better than expected.
Christmas started last night with neighbours coming round and thrusting a glass of wine into my not unwilling hands. Thank you.
This morning started early as the turkey had to go in. Then I remembered that I should have made bread last night. Cereal and yoghurt instead of toast.
Last year I was feeding Sandy honeyed yoghurt from a teaspoon. This year I’m doing the same with Kerry as she was sick last night.
Son and daughter in law didn’t come across because she needs, sensibly, to stay close to easy access to a hospital. It probably wouldn’t have been needed, but rather safe than sorry. I was half expecting this so took the option of duplicating a Christmas repast, buying two of everything, same quantity but half sized. I cooked theirs and took it across, so I have seen them. Took Kerry with me and she enjoyed the outing, then took her for a walk to the woods at the top of the road. Where I had intended to go round the woods once, Kerry had other ideas and I was dragged twice round the woods. We didn’t go a third time. There were objections.
She was sick last night so I laid off her food until this morning when yoghurt and honey was deemed very acceptable. A little while later the vet’s pate was also proving acceptable. The said pooch is now snoring on her chair. It was my chair but so what? I’m feeding her little and often. She may be holding out for turkey.
I promised not to shout at son and wife but they deserve it. They have given me an espresso coffee maker, a grinder, coffee beans and other things. Sandy would have loved that. I now have no excuse not to have coffee, as if I needed any (excuse that is).
I’m now awaiting the cooking of my pint-sized turkey, and will in the meantime minister to the vegetables and other things. Being home means that alcohol consumption is allowed and I’m being an academic and having sherry. Or should that be a knackered emic? Other flavoured water will follow. Semi-horizontality may follow sometime after that.
Later I’m baking and taking some round next door. Honey bread today. Meanwhile the washing up from this morning calls so that I can make it dirty again for mine.
Reflection:
Today has gone a lot better than I imagined it could have. Of course I’m missing Sandy, missing doing things together, missing the planning of what we’d do in the next year, the working together. But friends and family have certainly helped, knowing that you’d be there should I need you. It’s that safety net that helps, the knowledge that I’m not alone. I can start remembering the time we did have together and smile.
It doesn’t matter that we have never met, neither that we haven’t seen each other physically for over fifty years. You’d do it for anyone in need. I just hope I can be the same.
Back to the evening.
Bread being made alongside Christmas dinner, almost the same as I took to Coventry earlier. A bottle of Merlot has been opened. Kerry has had her meds and occasional food, but she’s been sleeping all afternoon after going out and the walks. She’s keen to go but takes a longer recovery period these days.
Tomorrow? Don’t know. See what takes the fancy. Nothing “needs” doing so maybe more will actually get done. What I will have to do is excavate the kitchen again. However the day may be more than a little damp, which pleasese me because the Atherstone Hunt are due t meet in the square.
Music:
I said that I would be concentrating on the liturgical aspects today. There’s fewer settings of these passages than I expected, so I have looked at works that use the texts.
We’ve already looked at Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and the complete Messiah earlier. These are the bits that refer directly to the liturgy.
Plainchant: Christmas – Midnight Mass
Benjamin Britten (1913-1978), A Ceremony of Carols, The Sixteen, conductor Harry Christophers. The introit is Hodie Christus natus est.
Micheal Praetorius (1571-1321), Lutheran Mass for Christmas Morning
Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958): Hodie, Christmas Cantata (1954), Guildford Choral Society, St Catherine’s School Middle Chamber Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Hilary Davan Wetton.
One of the psalms of matins on Christmas Day is Ps 19, used in Haydn’s Creation.
Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), The Heavens are Telling from The Creation, King’s College, Cambridge.
Another is Ps 45, used by Handel
Georg Frederic Handel (1685-1759), Coronation Anthem, My Heart is Inditing, HWV261, The Sixteen.
And from the first lesson of matins, which is Isiah 9, 1:9, verse 6 was appropriated for use in The Messiah.
Georg Frederic Handel (1685-1759), Messiah, For unto us a child is born, Tenebrae, LSO, conductor Sir Colin Davis.
Sum Space 
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