Christmas Carol Singing at Friends Village
Bucks Quarter and Friends Village have always had a special relationship. Each holiday season, Friends from around the Quarter traditionally come to the Styer Campus, hymnals in hand, to lead the residents in singing Christmas carols. Chris Kerr, Solebury Meeting, has been the piano accompanist for more years than he can remember. This year our Quarter singers included Nelson Camp and Alice Maxfield of Wrightstown Meeting, and Susan Snipes Wells, Tom Wells, Melanie Douty-Snipes and Jonathan Snipes of Fallsington Meeting.
Last year, as the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak and before vaccines were widely available to the public, Chiyo Moriuchi, Executive Director of Friends Village, out of an abundance of caution, made the prudent and wise choice to cancel the annual carol sing. All were disappointed.
But with the advent of widespread vaccination and booster shots (and before the omicron variant became so widespread), Friends once again gathered for the annual carol sing. Friends first went to the Styer Campus on Lower Dolington Road on Wednesday, December 8th, and to the Paxson Campus on Congress Street on Tuesday, December 14th.
Singers were challenged by the need to wear masks, but that just made everyone sing out louder to be heard through the cloth coverings. Favorites such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Go Tell it On the Mountain, Joy to the World and Angels We Have Heard on High were sung with gusto. The evening ended with a rousing We Wish You a Merry Christmas and we applauded our efforts with enthusiasm.
We had to forgo the traditional cookies and punch afterwards, but Friends Village was so beautifully decorated, and the residents were so appreciative that we *almost* didn’t miss the refreshments. We substituted conversation and good cheer instead.
Here’s wishing you all the blessings of the season my Friends, and may you find peace, joy, and good health in 2022. Merry Christmas!
