Before anyone begins to moan and groan about using the word “holiday” instead of “Christmas,” please consider Christmas is only one of the several holidays celebrated this time of year. I include Thanksgiving as the beginning and New Year’s Day as the end. Whether founded by market-driven notions or deep-rooted religious beliefs, all the holiday events are permeated with music, and that’s okay with me.
Without moralizing too much (just enough is my intent), I have no problem with singing “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” next to “Away in the Manger,” since both ideas are really based on stories we choose to believe on faith. I truly try to realize that during the several thousands of years of human existence, many theories of how to achieve happiness popped into our cultural awareness, and what works best to help folks be better people without hurting others should be the go-to idea. But whatever the feelings behind the songs or the beliefs of those delivering the music, the simple fact that music carries so much weight during this integral time of year in our culture should make us appreciate how much it influences our notion of being human.
Starting with the Memorial Medical Center-sponsored Festival of Trees held last week in the Orr Building on the Illinois State Fairgrounds, music becomes a centerpiece of the season. Wednesdays include Advent Brown Bag lunchtime concerts at First Presbyterian Church and Old Capitol Holiday Walks in the evening. This weekend kicks into high gear with the Jaycees Christmas Parade of Lights, culminating in the appearance of Santa Claus on the Jaycees/CORAL Rock N’ Roll Santa House float downtown on Saturday. Other various Saturday music-related events include Clayville Christmas at the old Broadwell Inn near Pleasant Plains, O Sole Trio at Sangamon Auditorium performing holiday classics for their “O Sole Night” show, a public-invited singing of the Christmas section of Handel’s “Messiah” at Springfield’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Elvis Himselvis’ Christmas Show at Casey’s Pub, The Alley Cats in Jingle Bell Rock at the Hoogland Center for the Arts, and the Christmas Wishes musical revue at The Legacy Theatre (Friday through Sunday).
In other Saturday night events, Dr. Ugs (on the Virginia town square) hosts a comedy night, Frank Trompeter and Friends play It’s All About Wine and Harmony Deep does Lime Street Café (Friday and Saturday). Randy Charles Band rocks the Butternut Hut, Honey & Jones tear up the Craft Beer Bar and X-Crush wows the Blue Grouch.
On Sunday at 7 p.m., the musical group Ten Coins presents a concert of “eclectic original songs with a spiritual slant” at Capital City Bar and Grill to benefit JAMS, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the Jane Adeny Memorial School for Girls in rural western Kenya. The group features guitar great Fareed Haque, vocals by Holly Keller, Rachel Toc and Wendy Rosborg, plus a rhythm section of Michael Baier, Colin Helton, Brian Wilson and Mark Grier, along with Theresa O’Hare on piccolo and Rachel Helton on violin. For advance tickets and more information, call Capital City Music at 787-7788.
The Illinois Central Blues Club started a GoFundMe project to help support Blues in the Schools programs and an upcoming CD compilation featuring area blues bands. Just search online and the link should appear. Wouldn’t that be a nice holiday gift, to donate to the good cause of helping blues music be remembered, understood and heard?
If I didn’t know better, I’d think music was the reason for the season. But then again, it’s the reason I and many others have something to believe in for every season.
Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].
