Conference vaxcat::friends

263.0. "Singing for shut-ins at Christmas?" by TOOK::MORRISON (Bob M. LKG1-3/A11 226-7570) Wed Nov 23 1994 20:56

  We don't really have a good notesfile to ask the following in, but it does
have to do with "friends" and a sense of community, so I thought I would ask it
here.
  First of all, something about myself. I grew up in a town in the seacoast
region of N.H. that has a sense of community, and my folks still live there.
I consider this my "home town" even though I haven't lived there for 18 years.
The Congregational Church there used to have a thing at Christmas where groups
of people went around to housing for the elderly and shut-ins living in regular
housing, singing Christmas carols. I really enjoyed this. I got to meet people,
both the people I was singing with and the people we sang for, whom I otherwise
would meet only once or twice a decade, if at all. 
  It started out with two groups of people doing two "circuits" all over town.
Then it became one group of people just doing the two housing for the elderly
places in town. When that group got too small, we teamed up with the other two
churches in town. Then THAT group got too small, and we did it for the last
time two years ago.
  My question is, are there any groups in the vicinity of Littleton, MA that
do this? Preferably, a group that someone can join on the spot without having
been a member of the church, club, etc. that is doing it. An amateur group
that doesn't rehearse, that just goes out and sings.
  This sort of thing "means" Christmas to me. Giving and receiving material
gifts turns me off. Being with my relatives is nice, but I see the same people
20 or so times a year, so it doesn't "make" my Christmas. What "makes" Christ-
mas for me is meeting NEW people. And it's getting harder to do that.

Dave Larrick used to do this with the DEC Carollers around the various sites.
I'm not sure if they go outside but it was great fun. He used to be at
hannah::dcl. If they don't, he might be able to point you at local groups that
do.

    
    Good evening all,
    
    
                    Angie

> Dave Larrick used to do this with the DEC Carollers around the various sites.

  I thought of this, but I would rather not make the time commitment that this
would involve. Also, it would be depressing to me in that it would remind me of
the "good old days" in Digital, which are gone forever, and I don't want to be
reminded of that.
  I will ask Dave if he knows of any groups like the ones I have in mind.

  My mission failed. Next year I'm going to start inquiring about this earlier.

    Bob,
    
    I went to New London Pizza in W. Acton yesterday. There was a poster up
    about Christmas eve carolling. I don't know if they had rehersals or
    what but it looked like it was open to anyone. I didn't take down the
    details... sorry.
    
    Jim

>    I went to New London Pizza in W. Acton yesterday. There was a poster up
>    about Christmas eve carolling. I don't know if they had rehersals or

  I have always spent Christmas eve and day with my folks, who are 70 miles
from Acton. However, if I ever get stuck here on Christmas eve, I will try to
remember to check the storefronts in W. Acton (in advance) to see if a similar
event is posted.
  Thanks for the pointer.