December 15, 2019. Madison, Mississippi. Christmas Music.

Everywhere you turn, you can hear music. It is the best time of the year. This evening at 6:00 I attended the Christmas Festival of Music at the First Presbyterian church in Jackson. Friend Eleanor picked me up and Jim and the girls arrived early to get us good seats. Christina and the girls attend that church as do the Sutherlands. The church choir is large. For the event, there was an orchestra of about half the size of s symphony orchestra. Most of the players are in the Mississippi Symphony so they were good. And we had a bagpiper too. The Minister of the church is a Scot and always wears a kilt for the Christmas concert. Between the kilt and the bagpiper the event had a Scottish flavor. The concert was first class all the way. The choir sang 10 pieces, the congregation sang three carols, the orchestra accompanied everything and the bagpiper played once. The only talking was the scriptures read in-between vocal pieces. The minister spoke for three minutes. There was music all evening. Almost heaven. The choir was excellent. They even sang some A Capallo anthems mid way of the piece. All of a sudden I could hear the ladies all by themselves with no organ and no orchestra. Then the orchestra joined in with the choir perfectly in tune. Amazing. Last evening the Sutherlands attended a concert of The Messiah, sung by a professional choir and full orchestra. It was held in a local large church, which was packed. They arrived early but were forced to sit on folding chairs at the end of the pews. Standing room only. Linda Creath attends a different church and tonight was their music program too. All three choirs sing along with soloists. Music is everywhere. Pretty nice.