December 23rd Carols and Song in Ottawa

It seems that our Harris-family tradition of December 23rd carol-singing continues wherever … this year for the second time in Ottawa (first time, 3 years ago, when Colin and Janet were just home from their Boston adventures - and I was there!).  Rachel and family came too.  Douglas and family were some thousands of miles to the east - with Eric and Anne-Francoise in Lille, France.  Here, it began at 6pm with wonderful food by Janet and crew - more eating than singing for the first 2 hours.  I played carols for the "littles" and whomever else didn't have a mouthful.   Christmas music in the air.

At 8pm the carols began to ring.  Led by Rachel and egged on by Janet, the house shook, especially for "The Twelve Days of Christmas" and "The Twelve Days of Christmas North" - sung in parts by birthday month (Jan + Feb, etc.) for the days-of-Christmas 6-12.  So fun.

At 9pm, the crew and music changed.  Duelling keyboards - Megan Jerome on piano, Mats Lindeberg on electric keyboard - facing each other at an angle across the living room.  (photos anyone?)  Songs from two song-books by Janet, Rowan, and Colin - one created in 2011, another completed and copied an hour before the party.  ABBA, the Beatles, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Grease, Meghan Trainor, Adele, Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Megan Jerome, and and and …   All enthusiastically sung for hours by several generations.  Somewhere in there, Doco invited his eldest grand-daughter to dance, and they weren't alone.  A splendid pre-Christmas night!  (and a wonderful birthday for me!!!)

Doco, Cathy, Rowan, Eric

Rachel, Doco, Rowan, Zeus, Eric
(with Koko's flower triptych on the wall)

Rachel, Cathy, Rowan, Ella, Eirc