Whitby Free Press, Wednlesday. December 21, 1994. Page 7 In concert it was billed as a Christmas concert. We went early, armed with blankets and pillows. We carried our own mugs to drink hot chocolate. Chairs had been provided for grandparents only. So there we sat on the gym floor: cross-legged, cross-eyed and if you happened to find yourself besîdq the five-year-old child from heck, well, maybe just plain cross. The structure of the evening was simple: beginning at 7:30 p.m. the Grade 1 classes sang; the primary choir sang; and the junior choir sang. If you missed this, you had the opportunity to wait in the lobby chug-a-lugging bot ider. Then, at 8:10, they did the whole thing over again: the Grade 1 classes sang again, then the primary choir sang again; and then the junior choir also sang again. Mrs. Vondracek led a sing-song, projectiug the words on the wall. Without glasses the words are hard ta read. Most of the songs are-familiar. This is the annual Elementary School Christmas Concert. Fie on thèse who would change its title and content to something such as Holiday Music Recital. Christmas is. Christmas. Despite the lyries ta, some sangs, this has no more ta do with Christianity than it does with Scientology. Anyrate: as I wrnite this, the concert hasn't even happened yet. I write- this on Monday night. The concert does not happen until Tiiesday night. You, dear reader, may follow your usual pattern and read this Wednesday night. Or Thu.rsday. Friday. Or you may be out shopping those evenings, just as I will, and not read this at all. So be it. I send the same Merry Christmas to, ail readers, whether they read this or not. Back ta the concert. We will skip the part about the carol sing outside with candles, since we were late for that part; we wiIl also skip right by the remarks by the sohool principal, too long by a- half; the hot chocolate which is hot, and seasonal, and too sweet by a half;, the over-enthusiastic choir member who made faces al through the Manger number and had half bis mates in giggles; and of course we will skip the Grade 1 lad whose stage fright led to loss of composure, legiving ini turn a set and a half of grandparents and an aunt sitting through a concert of strangers for goodness sakes, and enjoying it nonethe- less. We are not here, though, for the skippable parts. We are here because of the Junior Choir. In particu- lar, that one member of the Junior Choir, see, that one, second row, second from the right, the one who almost smiled once during the second sang. Why you could almost see her lips move. 1 admit that during the performance my mind wandered just a bit. With fifty years of Christmas Concert experience, what gem would I unearth? My ftrst performance, baif a century ago, wben I played a sage doctar who discovered a baby's crying was due ta "A-Pin-de-Seat-Us. I1 didn't get it -then, either. Or the year as the Shepherd? Oh, sure, then the Scrooge the seventb grade version, wben I was to clever ta do axiythixig mundane like memorize lines -- and spent five grueling minutes wbhispering ta the prompter behind the Christmas tree. This in front of a church ful cf smirking parents and my mother. What? Oh, sorry, I wandered there for a minute. TMme ta go? Toc bad. Have we sung Ilark the Hearld Angels? Okay, maybe a mug cf hot cider on the way eut. That person we know ini the Junior Choir can show us her classroom, tao. Great evening. Too bad we cant get this many out ta PTA meetings, eh? Could you imagine a childhood without a Christmas Concert? ~i~1 FAMy 0F GEORGE MCGILVRAY, DECEMBI1871 Pictured here are Mr. and Mrs. George McGillivray of 'nveryn.adter1 children. Back row: Charles, Mary, John, Catherine, George Jr., Aê elaide. Centre row: Mr. and Mrs. George McGillivray. Third row: Caroline, Norman, William, Donald, Elizabeth. Front row: Florence, Theodore. IAcle ht 10 YEARS AGO From the Wednesday ,December 19, 1984 edition of the WHiTBY FREE PRESS e F'e arking downtown is being tried to, stiniulate Christmas business. * Buu1png permits worth $45.9 million were issued so far this year. " Boy Scout paper drives will not be hurt by a recycling program says Public Works Director Dick Kuwahara. " A four-bedroom house in Whitby is selling for $104,900. " Whitby School Truste an Brown is vice-chairman of the Durham Board of Education for 1985. 35 YEABS AGO fromn the Thursay lcexnber 17, 1959 edition of the WMWEEKLY NEWS " Television will be introduced in Whitby schools as a teaclung aid for 13 weeks, starting in January 1960. " Myrtle Lovelock, the firat woman te serve on Whitby Township Council, was defeated in the municipal elections. " An ice storm caused two major Hydro blackouts and $1,000 damage in Whitby. " One hundred and thirteen new Canadians will take the citizenship oath at the Court Hous tomorrow. 125 YEARS AGO from the Thur;sflda Dcember 16, 1869 edition of the YCHIRONICLE *Benjamin Bryan of Whitby was killed when dragged by hie frightened horses into a ple of luxber at Utica. ILSt Thornas Anglican Church will be officially opened at Brooklin on Dec. 19. " Robert Perry, son of Whitby's founder Peter Perry, is selling bis furniture prior ta, nioving to, Bracebridge. " Arson is suspected in a fire that burned Aaron Cairna'barn near Brooklin. . .................... .. ............ ............ . ........ ... Mý - 1