The conductor for our Christmas pops concert seems unaware that he is in Japan; he smells of Hawaii, his home. "I'm looking to get out of here around 12:30 or 1," he said, "and tomorrow the same and no dress rehearsal on Saturday, we'll just do the concert." That chopped off about 60% of our scheduled rehearsal. A concert of Christmas songs and 70s chart, once the drummer gets going little artistic refinery needs to be given. Disco has a tempo and we're along for the ride. The last 70s medley (before the encore of White Christmas) ends with "YMCA" and we are to get the audience to do the dance with us. I'm so happy to be complicit in this endeavor. It's already fun to watch the orchestra figure out which way to turn the C, but to dance with 2,000 Japanese ticket holders will be a unique lifetime experience. I'm not really sure why this concert is 70s themed, but I think the relative paucity of the Christmas music is just a part of the Japanese Christmas experience. At least the 5 foot tree from the HPAC lounge has been moved to the corner of the stage, making it an official Christmas concert.
From the other side of the ocean, I have memories of my father and aunt writing Christmas shows for the local Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, one in which I sang all "I want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth." I remember singing in Cincinnati Christmas Pops concerts with my children's choir, once singing in Mel Torme's last performance of "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas." And playing in Madison Symphony Orchestra's Christmas Pops, R&B arrangements by a local gospel choir and Handel's Hallelujah. Giant Frosty the Snowmen and Rudolfs hobbling across the stage in tandem with Christmas carols. Every year, no matter where, the same songs return. The seasonal splendor and curiosity of a holiday shared by many, in many different ways.
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