I am so not a fan of rushing the Christmas season. It’s painful to walk into a store in late August and see fake pine roping going up. The whole run-up to Thanksgiving, pre-empted by talk of Black Friday, Midnight Madness and Cyber Monday, makes me worry that my beloved Turkey Day will soon morph into Carb-Loading-for-Endurance-Shopping-Day. Pre-Holiday Sales in October, ho, ho. . . no.

None of this craziness even touches on the spirit of the season, which is, at its heart, about wondrous events, the comfort of an ever-widening circle of family in all its many forms, and light and hope in the middle of a dark season. Which is probably why I’m not a fan of rushing the Christmas shopping season, but I adore the preparation for our Christmas concert. Who cares that we’re singing We Three Kings or You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch before Halloween when we can share in the comfort of our ever-widening circle, singing songs of light and hope – and wonder – as we draw closer to the longest nights of the year?

It’s going to be an incredible concert. I can feel it already, and we’re just bursting to share it. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night.