...and the band softly played...

“...and the band softly played on this magical night...”

I have a thank you note that sits on a little stand in a tray with my watch, bobby pins, barrettes, and hairbrush.  It has a few water spots because somebody at my house does tend to brush his teeth with water flinging everywhere.  But though it is smudged and almost two years old, I keep it.  Sometimes there is a magical time--a moment, an hour, an evening, that one wishes to keep just a glimpse of...to remember...

the note begins, “Dear Host family...” 

On the last Sunday in March of 2012, almost two years ago, our church had plans to host a choir from a Bible college for our Sunday morning service.  But due to distance and travel plans, the choir members were in need of a place to sleep on Saturday night and a breakfast on Sunday morning before church.  A request was posted in the bulletin, wondering if the good people of our church would be so kind as to host them for the Saturday night before the program.  At our house, we had room for three.  

We do enjoy company...i have always been shy but have learned that one of the best exercises for keeping it at bay is to practice not being shy.  So, when there is a chance to practice my hostess skills, I try to do so. 

And...Hebrews 13:2...”Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” 
And in Matthew 25:34-35  ...”Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
For I was [hungered] and ye gave me meat:  I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in...” 

It does not say that only those who are not shy in this life will sit on His right hand in the kingdom of heaven, so i think this means that I am not excluded in this directive to entertain strangers...

So, anyway, we had these three lovely “angels unaware” in our home that evening.  These three girls were college students in their early twenties--friendly, sweet, and kind to my children.  My children are usually very eager little hosts and this time was no exception.  Our guests were duly shown their rooms and we invited them to make themselves at home, as is our usual. 

It was a chilly night, too early in the year to sit outside at a bonfire as we often do when we have guests.  We all gathered in the living room to visit.  The girls had had a long day and to them, nothing sounded better than hot showers and comfortable chairs.  They were easy to chat with; but, as I have learned on previous occasions of “entertaining strangers,“ at times it is nice to have a bit of background music or tv, if I can find something that everyone enjoys; to help out with conversation.  I do my best to be a kind and comfortable hostess, but shyness sometimes makes me a bit awkward at the same time.  So as we visited in the living room, I pulled up a recording on our DVR that had given our family so many happy hours of entertainment.  Good old PBS. 

A few years before, my hubby had called me in to the living room one night to watch a show on PBS...one of the concerts that PBS aired during their fund drive (said fund drive is otherwise referred to by my children as “the beggars are on!”).  The concert hubby was watching was a fairly new group, or new to the United States, anyway.  The work of Irish music legend Phil Coulter and Celtic Woman production originator Sharon Browne, Celtic Thunder was an awesome show with full orchestra, intricate choreography, and the beautiful seamless harmony of George MacDonald, Keith Harkin, Paul Byrom, Damian McGinty, Ryan Kelly, and Neil Byrne.  We had never heard of Celtic Thunder before that evening, but they were unforgettable. 

Now, a few years later, with the wonderful technology of DVR, we had recorded Celtic Thunder’s Heritage concert when the beggars took to the screen again with the promise of Celtic Thunder tickets in return for a little chunk of support for your friendly neighborhood PBS stations.  Skipping through the “beggarly” portions of the two hour time slot was a small price to pay to watch the Heritage show; and we watched it again and again.  The first Celtic Thunder show we watched, titled That’s Entertainment, had been excellent--a look back at American entertainment through the years.  But Heritage was a look back at traditional Irish music and this performance was...well, something absolutely special.  Almost magical.

In March of 2012, I was already beginning my downward spiral into depression, although I didn’t realize it at the time.  I chalked up my growing fear and occasional attack of near panic to apprehension building for the surgery that I had scheduled for the last week in March--the countdown was now down to only a few days.  But during the weeks leading up to the surgery, I couldn’t get enough of this music.  Something in it soothed my soul and held the darkness at bay, if only for a short time.

And “the band softly played on that magical night...” 

We watched, captivated.  Our guests were talented and dedicated singers and musicians.  They knew their music and they knew quality when they saw it.  Though I had watched Heritage many times already, I saw it anew through their eyes.  I learned new things that I had not noticed before; as we watched, gently critiqued, and thoroughly enjoyed the show.  This was not only quality music and showmanship, but this concert had a beautiful chemistry...I was beginning to believe it was simply one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments, never to be duplicated.  It was filmed in Poughkeepsie, New York, in September 2010; shortly before two of the original members left the group--Paul Byrom to pursue a solo career, and Damian McGinty to join the tv show The Glee Project.  Whether or not this was their farewell performance, I did not know; but I was sure that they could not have delivered a better one.  More than once we had goosebumps on our skin and tears in our eyes.

It was a wonderful evening, in its quiet conversation, sweet fellowship, and beautiful music.    My children have a knack for song and harmony, and my oldest son (never quite as shy as his mother) added his voice to his favorite number--George Donaldson’s performance of “Working Man”--when it came on.  The admiration of my son's talent by our musician guests--and the evidence that they knew whereof they spoke--added to his confidence and helped to inspire him to join a men’s singing group a few months later, to add to his musical skill and natural ear for harmony.  My daughter (who tends to be a little shy like her mother) was also brave enough to sing a bit for these sweet girls; and I watched her with the joy of a mom seeing a usually closed little flower open and sharing her beauty with the world.  My youngest had adopted one of the girls as his special buddy for the night and parked himself on her lap with the assurance of a child who knows he is adorable and loved.

The girls’ kind thank you note said, “Thank you so much for everything!  We really enjoyed every minute of it [our visit]!”  Oh, girls, we did too... 

And the memory, the music, the lingering joy of it...it carried me through the beginning of the darkness that was seeping into me.  I still carry that lingering joy in my heart. 

I still enjoy Celtic Thunder; though they have seen many changes, they are still a wonderful show.  And this Christmas, when PBS aired a Christmas special by Paul Byrom, my youngest child came flying out to the kitchen to find me...“it’s Paul, it’s Paul!  on the tv, Mom!“  Paul Byrom and Damian McGinty were sadly missed when we watched the later Celtic Thunder shows without them; and my little guy was rather afraid that they had passed away.  So what a relief it was to him; to find Paul, alive and well, and singing on our tv.

My dear understanding hubby bought me the DVD of that September 2010 Heritage concert after the DVR showed an error message one day and refused to play the PBS recording of it again.  Sometimes I still put the DVD in and let the music seep in to me, into all the dark places.  And it soothes my soul...

So I wanted to say thank you...to all of you--Phil Coulter, Sharon Browne, George Donaldson, Ryan Kelly, Keith Harkin, Paul Byrom, Damian McGinty, Neil Byrne, and all the rest of the talented people who made this show possible, whose names i don‘t know.  You have brought such joy in the middle of a dark time, and I will always, always be grateful...
 

 (...the two links below are some background information on Celtic Thunder, and one of our favorite songs from the 2010 Heritage concert...)

 Celtic Thunder wikipedia


Celtic Thunder--A Place in the Choir