Lessons, carols and Christmas stars

We careened between concerts on Saturday, looking for a little Christmas spirit and, man oh man, did we find it!

The first stop on our magical merriment tour was the Appleton Boy Choir’s Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Every year that concert squeezes the meaning of Christmas out of my poor, frazzled heart so thoroughly I can’t help but smile for days.

The sight of all those sweet faces singing so earnestly and the sound of all those clear young voices always bring tears to my eyes.

This year at the 4 p.m. concert, American Idol performer Franki Moscato read the sixth lesson. Franki founded a suicide prevention foundation and has been an active spokesperson for the prevention of online bullying.

So, when the choir launched into a beautiful rendition of “Precious Moment” following Franki’s reading, it felt like a celestial hug.

“A gift so pure, life so precious, gifted to me.”

My husband Vince read the next lesson, which was also pretty cool to see.

We left that concert full of peace and gratitude for an organization we’ve been lucky to be a part of for more than 25 years.

Then we headed over to Xavier High School for Christmas Stars, one of the greatest Christmas shows in town.

Christmas Stars raises funds for the St. Francis Xavier School System in the most clever, entertaining, collaborative way possible.

The show started out strong 32 years ago and it gets better each year. It’s such a lovely mix of whimsy and spirituality.

This year, Vince and I played a game I like to call “Spot the Shadick” because our talented friends had so many family members in the show.

We spotted Shadicks as the Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, Rudolph and Mrs Claus, Frosty the Snowman, angels, carolers, cart wheelers, dancers, and Joseph.

I joked that if Spot the Shadick had been a drinking game, you’d have had to wheel me out of that venerable auditorium.

We really loved this year’s Christmas Stars and look forward to seeing it again next year.

December can be such a frantic month and it’s hard to fit everything in. Shows like Christmas Stars and Lessons and Carols earn their spots on your calendar.

They give their audiences the precious gift of inspiration.

Thanks very much to both shows for turning a very cold Saturday into a warm-hearted festival of joy.