By Betty Wieslawski, Court House.
My Christmas memory is from when I was growing up in Philadelphia. I was a member of the all girl choir at our church. Every Christmas, our choir would perform either at Midnight Mass or the 5:30 a.m. Mass. The pews were packed and there was standing room only. The church was in darkness except for all the choir members who carried battery-powered candles.
Being in a Catholic school, we all wore our grade school or high school uniforms along with a covering on our head. There were maybe 30 girls and we would enter along the center aisle of church to the transept in front of the altar, altos on one side and sopranos on the other. We would sing various religious Christmas songs. My one favorite was called “Angels of Light.”
Sister Mary Dorothy, our music teacher, taught us that song and I remember it to this day. Sometimes my sister and I will sing it together. I always hoped that it might become popular but unfortunately it did not.
My father used to enjoy hearing the choir and would attend High Mass at 11 a.m. every Sunday when we would sing the Mass in Latin (The Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei). I often think back on those days with pleasant memories.
Angels of light
Angels so bright
Joyously, joyously winging their flight
Over the plains
Rings a refrain
Echoes the heavenly strain.
Chorus:
Unto the Lord be glory
Peace upon Earth good will
Hark the celestial story
Ringing in rapture still
Heralds of joy unending
Tidings of love we bring
Sweetly our voices blending
Welcome the new born King
Angels draw near
Bringing us cheer
Wonderful, wonderful
Message we hear
Herald his birth
Prince of the Earth
Greet him with gladness and mirth.
Repeat Chorus
Avalon – The lights in New York Times Square on 37th Street are shining brightly once again. However, they are a nuisance and very unattractive. This is known as light trespassing and it affects migrating…
