FaLaLaLaLa

At the risk of alienating myself and being shunned by Christmasphiles, I'm going to admit something  -- I don't particularly like Christmas music.  Sorry, just not a fan.  And with every musical artist and his brother putting out an album of Christmas tunes, it's pretty hard to get away from for the better part of December.  Thank God for CD players and USB connections in cars.  Christmas specials on TV?  Nope, don't watch 'em, except for maybe Blake Shelton 'cause he's doesn't always play nice, even when it is Christmas

But (c'mon, there's always a but...or an except for) -- when I was in Italy we accompanied a friend to a choir practice.  He had recently joined the choir (and quit soon after) but (see, there it is again) for that night anyway, we got to listen to a group of heavenly voices practicing for a Christmas concert.  They were learning the harmonies for several songs and maybe it was being in a foreign country, maybe it was the acoustics, or maybe it was because it was live, but man oh man, was it beautiful.  Even in Italy, they sing the carols and songs in English and we were called upon to explain the meaning of Deck the Halls.  

My only regret was that I wasn't going to be there to hear them perform in concert.  Shortly after choir practice we were exploring the catacombs under the Basilica and came upon a room with a huge vaulted ceiling and a wooden platform at one end.  Wouldn't it be an awesome venue for a concert?  Turns out, that was exactly where it was being held.  Had I been there, I would have been first in line.

Would have had Elmo & Patsy singing Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer beat all to hell.