• Home
  • About
  • Contact Us

CvilleBuzz

A Jim Brewer Publication

  • Outdoor Report
  • Boomer Memories
  • Now We’re Cooking
  • Golfing for Duffers
  • Backyard Birds and Buds
  • Local Business
You are here: Home / Boomer Memories / The First Noel

The First Noel

December 19, 2019 By Jim Brewer

Christmas memories.

Strange, how some things stick in your mind through all the years. A Christmas memory I vividly recall happened in 1956. It was a few days before Christmas and Uncle Jim, my Aunt Jodi and Mama Ida had come from North Carolina to spend Christmas at our house in Lewisburg, WV. With an hour or two of sunlight remaining, I asked my uncle  if he wanted to take the dogs out and look for a covey of quail near our house. He accepted, we found a nice covey right before dark, Uncle Jim shot a bird that flew his way and I missed my shot. But a great day overall.

That night, our Junior High Fellowship group from Old Stone Presbyterian had agreed to go Christmas caroling – not my preferred activity – but since it was such a joyous occasion, I was all in. To make things better, Uncle Jim (easily my favorite uncle) agreed to be one of the chaperones and entertained us royally.

I am a tenor. The reason I know this is that’s where they put me whenever I sing in a group. I’m often unsure which note is which, but I never had a problem with the high notes. I suppose is has to do with all the shrieking I did as a boy.

Anyway, we went from house to house, belting out all the familiar Christmas carols. When we came to Nancy Gibson’s house on Seneca Trail, the entire Gibson family came to the door and we decided to sing “The First Noel.”

If you recall, the ending chorus of this carol goes, “No-oh-el, No-oh-el, No-oh-el, No-oh-el-el; Born is the King, etc.”

For some reason still unknown to me to this day – I guess it was because I was so caught up in the spirit of that moment – on that last “No-oh-el-el”, I went for the high note, delivering a Pavarotti-like finale.

It was such that when I hit that last note, the entire caroling ensemble of 12- and 13-year old’s stopped singing, turned around and looked my way as if to say, “What the hell was that?”

Then we finished the carol and moved on to the next house.

Since that night, each time I sing “The First Noel”, I remember going Christmas caroling in 1956, and yes, I still for go for the high note.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Print
  • More
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Tumblr
  • Pocket

You might also enjoy

Default ThumbnailHawaii, Hawaii! Default ThumbnailThe First (And Best) Talent Show Default ThumbnailLewisburg: O’er Those Beautiful Hills Default ThumbnailShaver’s Music Shop

Filed Under: Boomer Memories

advertisement

Subscribe to CvilleBuzz

Subscribe to our mailing list

Latest Stories

  • Telling It Like It Is
  • Trader Joe’s Tempura Shrimp
  • The Robins of Capistrano
  • Heavenly Cod
  • A Passenger Hawk

Find us on Facebook

Find us on Facebook

Popular Stories

  • Butch Wax and Flat Tops
  • The Rathskeller at Chapel Hill
  • White Tailed Blackbird
  • Carolina Cioppino
  • The Best-Ever Frozen Biscuits

About Cville Buzz

I am Jim Brewer, Editor of the new CvilleBuzz, a humble on-line attempt to entertain those, not only … Read More...

Story Sections

  • A Losing proposition
  • Around Town
  • Articles From the Past
  • Backyard Birds and Buds
  • Band Aid
  • Boomer Memories
  • Chuckles
  • Columns to Remember
  • Coming Attractions
  • Conservation
  • Dan Corbin
  • Eatin' Out
  • Exploring Virginia
  • Golfing for Duffers
  • Greg Lefler
  • Guest column
  • Hawaii
  • HUnting Update
  • In Layman's Terms
  • Lights Out
  • Local Business
  • Nancy B's
  • Neat Stuff
  • Now We're Cooking
  • On Golden Pond
  • Outdoor Report
  • Ready Fore Golf
  • Realtor
  • Road Trips
  • Saltwater Report
  • The Garden Spot
  • The Outer Banks
  • Trout Fishing
  • Weeds and Wildflowers
  • While Shepherds Watched

Pages

  • About
    • Lights Out: Lighting Fixtures
  • Contact Us

Advertise on Cville Buzz

Do business in the Charlottesville area? Then Contact Us to learn about our affordable rates and attractive ad display options.

Copyright © 2021 Cville Buzz · Log in