Did They Say Who Was Leading the Choir?

The festive season is fully upon us. Last night, I went downtown to Nathan Phillips Square to see the first lighting of the Christmas tree. Of course, they put on a show before they actually turn on the lights. We were too far back to really see anything, but we were able to make out the general direction of the stage. First up was the Toronto Children's Chorus. They sang a couple of standard carols, then they sang "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day", which is a song I distinctly remember singing in middle school choir (insert flashback here). Boni was able to confirm my memory. Then they sang "Panis Angelicus", and then they sang "This Little Babe", and I turned to Boni and asked, "Did they happen to mention who's leading this choir???" We were reliving our Grade 7 Christmas concert. Very surreal. We half expected Ms. Anber to pop up at any moment.

After the new mayor made a little blah-blah speech, and after the Ontario Guild of English Handbell Ringers performed (they have guilds for everything!), there was a performance by Strange Fruit, those people on bendy poles that we had seen at the Street Festival this summer. They must have been FREEZING. Their performance would have been good had it been less cold and the music had been less trance-like. Most people couldn't handle it. The minute they were done, flames started shooting up from city hall, and a huge fireworks show filled the air with smoke (luckily the wind was in our favour). It was quite impressive - better than New Year's, according to some people.

The skating was a different story. The ice was covered with a thick layer of snow, and people were skating in any direction they wanted. We had to avoid the kids zipping around our knees, the bumps that we couldn't see due to the snow, the garbage that was strewn about, and the people who had a complete disregard for safety and were just walking across the ice or were standing in the middle of the rink to watch the live band. Queenie actually yelled at a couple of kids, who yelled something back but I didn't hear what they said.

On our way out, we decided to partake in the free hot chocolate being dispensed by a guy with a Starbucks tank strapped to his back. There was a spillage in Ada's direction, naturally. I got bumped by the tank and spilled some on my mitten, which (and here's the low point of the evening) I decided to suck out. Boni, Queenie, Ada and Janice were trying to balance cups of hot chocolate with the free brownie squares. I just shook my head and said, "More than you can chew!" Queenie nearly choked on her hot chocolate trying not to laugh. I had inadvertently crossed the line into "stern elderly relative" mode.

"To see the legend of my play, to call my true love to my dance"