Scream! Please Not Another School Christmas Concert!

Today, we were invited to watch the grandkids perform at the Berkley International School Elementary/Middle School Christmas Concert. If our two star performers would not have been auditioning on stage for future musical stardom, I would not have gone. But, of course, this was a special occasion.

With a balmy 92 degree Fahrenheit temperature making it impossible to weasel my way out because it was too cold and wintery, we went to the concert. It was staged in the outdoor basketball court mainly because it had a covered roof and was surrounded by ten huge fans to try to keep the audience cool. 

We picked up our program and awaited the magic. The program was a composite of the old and the unfamiliar. I recognized tunes (slightly) like Don’t Stop Believing, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Donna Nobis Pacem. I was more entertained by some new additions like Jingle Bell Parade, Turn Off That Nose (a recent anthem of mine), Snowman, Where’d You Go and Ugly Sweater(?)

More interesting than the program were the names of some of the kids at the school. I don’t intend to be disparaging, but I found some wonderfully unique children’s names. Among them were such jewels as: Photon, Cheesecake, Sun, Cheetah, Pun Pun, Kaw Kaw, Wolfy, Pear,

Putter, Mook, Cotton, and Ice. I am sure to many of the Thai parents, the names Helen and Sawyer, drew more attention than Obo!

This concert from a population of less than 300 kids involved several string selections and a half dozen choral renditions. With my never ending ex-principal’s propensity for evaluation, I was disappointed that there was very little to criticize! The program moved swiftly, the entrances and exits were swift and without commotion, the attention and input of the students was commendable and it went off without a hitch. The singing was very good as well. 

I have to give accolades to the music teachers and everyone involved. My grandkids concerts in a special Fine Arts School in Calgary were a distant 55th in the grand scheme of things, by comparison. A quality recital in a foreign country that surpasses the offerings of a Fine Arts School at home raises some important questions in my deteriorating mind!

A final observation was the orderly dismissal and the contributions of senior students in helping with disassembling the seating area and stage, without any hassle. Student cooperation was excellent and a sign that lots of good things are happening in our grandkids school in Thailand. That is very comforting for an old grandpa’s heart. A day that began with a little reluctance, ended with smiles all around. Thailand is not called the “Land of Smiles” for nothing!