Played a real nice function at the Ohio Masonic Home in Springfield, OH last night. It was their annual Christmas party which brings about a dozen of the highest rankings Grand Lodge Officers from all over the state. There were between 600-700 people in attendance. (The Masonic Home is a renovated Castle and is massive.)

It is a HUGE deal at this home...

I did a basic 45 minute program playing mostly Christmas tunes of course. Then, to close with, I did Silent Night. I invited the audience to please sing with me. I was up on an elevated stage with full lighting and looking down at the decorated room was a awesome site. (I'm sure I had a better view than my audience did, lol) Once I started, the AD dimmed the lights in the auditorium and the small candles throughout the hall gave it an almost church type feel.

Each verse built as I used a Xmas Waltz style w/strings underneath my chording and singing. After the 3rd verse...I killed the accompianment and just used the strings, which I dropped the volume by half. The result was 600+ people singing Silent Night with georgous strings as a bed behind it. The audience had stood when I started it and the front half of the room had all joined hands and were swaying gently to the song.

At the end of the final verse, you could've heard a pin drop except for the sound of a few women crying.

Now, people crying when I sing is no big deal, but this is likely to be THE warmest moment I'll be a part of this season.



One of those nights when everything seemed to work like you want it too.

What a great job I have!

Bill in Dayton

A beautiful story, Bill ... Merry Christmas ....
t.

Wow!!! COngratulations. You paint a beautifull picture. I can visualize that in my minds eye and ear. There is something about many voices singing without accompaniment (exccpt for strings) that is just awesome.
Starkeer

Moments such as that come along very rarely. I've had a couple. It's sort of like making a birdie on the 18th hole--it keeps you coming back.
DonM

Hi Bill.

This kind of work show us how emotion we can share. It's amazing.

My congrats from Brasil
Chico

Hey, that's an awesome story. Way to go and good for you.

M&M's
....Magic Moments

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...L

Bill: A very nice post. I live at the Masonic Home of Michigan in Alma. Almost as big as Ohio, we have 450 residents. We also conduct a similar Christmas Program in our beautiful three million dollar Chapel. I play at the home on my KN-6500 quite often, but we have an employee that play's our large Rogers Organ for this Christmas Observance. Believe me when I say he is very close to Lenny Dee in the quality of his playing, I mean just that. Thanks for your post, and I hope this post of mine is of some interest to you..........ARJ

Bill... congrats on obviously a job well done.

Glenn