Musings

What a wonderful day this has been in my precious hometown.

I awoke anticipating not only the Sunday forenoon service at my church, but also a wonderful concert and program at Crouch Auditorium beginning early in the afternoon.

A good friend picked me up and took me to church. Another good friend took me home, then returned a couple of hours later to take me to the delightful entertainment. The parking lot was already crowded when we arrived. Happy conversation and laughter greeted our ears as we entered the building.

On the drive over, I checked my pocketbook. We hadn’t heard anything about admission fees, but I felt they should be paid. As we neared the inner auditorium door, we saw plastic ice cream buckets with slots cut in the lids and “donations” written in red marker on top.

“Thank goodness they’re at least doing this,” I said to my friend and driver, stopping her as she reached into her own pocketbook. “Your car,
gasoline and driving are your contribution.”

She shook her head, then shrugged her shoulders as I held onto her hand for a moment before dropping in cash for both of us.

Music was the theme, and the bright Christmas season we are entering was clearly the subject the growing crowd was about to enjoy. Tiered steps had been arranged to form a half-circle around the large stage, soon lined with men, women and teenagers — with a few younger ones thrown in for spice.

Red and green dominated their color schemes, nicely complemented by black and white. Sunday best was the
prevailing fashion, and my heart overflowed with pride in these beautiful, talented people, obviously eager to entertain the audience.

A tall emcee in a dark suit, alongside a lovely lady in a beautiful white blouse and long black skirt, approached the microphone. A hush fell over the crowd. I couldn’t be prouder of these citizens of my beloved hometown, and eagerly anticipated their joint welcome to this afternoon of superb entertainment.

That welcome enveloped the auditorium, and the performance began flowing like a beautiful river of sight and sound, so varied the audience could scarcely take it all in. Handbell harmonies, graceful transitions, vocal solos and group harmonies — delivered to perfection by one and many — caressed our senses and lifted us into the spirit of this holy season.

The audience responded as spontaneously and brightly as the performers performed. Time rippled gently over all, until a grand finale arrived amid wave after wave of applause, fittingly ending
with a lengthy standing ovation for this marvelous holiday celebration.

Performers then led the way to another room where all were invited to enjoy plentiful refreshments. My friend and I both had to leave, but I’m certain that was the perfect finale — conversation, coffee and one more perfect day in this joyous Christmas season.

Editor’s note: This column was written by Rhonda following the annual Christmas Cantata concert on Dec. 14, 2025.