Jean and I have made a change.  We are now calling it UP THE DOWN CHIMNEY (although actually it’s not a chimney but the Grotto on the Good Shepherd campus. We take the place of Mary, although neither of us qualifies).

And it is an even BIGGER SHOW celebrating Mumbles Wales, Very Long Hair & Vest Pocket Watches, Red Ryder BB-Guns, Down of a Thistle, and composer David Mahler.

It is THIS COMING Monday, the 22nd at 7:30 in the restored Chapel at the Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford.  (pictured below)

It has fine acoustics too and can be easily reached by stairs or elevator.

(The Good Shepherd campus has a big and lovingly landscaped parking lot off of Sunnyside Street, between 46th and 50th Streets.)

We will be reading 4 CLASSICS.

* GIFT of the Magi  –  O.Henry

* A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS in WALES  –  Dylan Thomas

* Twas the Night Before Christmas

* RED RYDER NAILS the CLEVELAND STREET KID  –  Jean Shepherd.

(Here’s a way to remember all this.  Jean Sherrard reads Jean Shepherd in the Good Shepherd.)

Mixed with the readings we will all sing together – songs that include but are not limited to…

* Jukebox Christmas Eve (Mahler, David)

* Christmas Island (The Andrews Sisters)

* Hanukkah Candles (Grossman and Goldfarb) Hanukkah begins Sunday at sundown.

* The Pathetic Birdy Song  – (The Dorpat Bros) may become a classic.  Click the link and hear for yourself.

… and other Holiday selections from composer David Mahler’s beloved Christmas Red and Green Books!

The Chapel at Good Shepherd photographed by Jean during the “Ashes to Ashes” exhibit.  Imagine yourself singing and listening to a good story in place of those 21 biodegradable caskets hanging from the ceiling.  (For more on this now-closed show read Sally Anderson’s review of it in our archives.)