OH HOLY NIGHT.... MY STORY

When I was 10  I was at school at St Stephens Episcopal Day School, Coconut Grove Miami. I had    a good singing voice.
Perhaps no better than many but, I was happy to sing to an audience! Show off I hear you say!!! 
In My class in Mrs Fresh s ( a Cuban exile ) was George Heiner Jr. He ,too, had a brilliant voice and we were paired to sing together many times.
One of these times was a school concert at the beginning of term when we sang "Getting to Know You".
The last time he sang was the day I lef,t and Mrs Fresh asked him to sing as a tribute to me..George sang "You'll Never Walk Alone. " It was very emotional even for a 10 yr old. and inmy memory even more emotion comes forth.

Back to "O Holy Night". The Christmas I was 10 , George and I were asked to sing on TV. I think it was channel 9 , the Education Channel. Well, you can imagine how thrilled I was. The TV programme was to be live and was 2 days before the end of term.

Now, it must be explained that teachers were not paid well, and my family had little money. I was due to fly Bahamas Air, back to be with Mum and Dad on Inagua for Christmas,  the day after the TV show. 

BUT I was offered a  "lift" in a plane belonging to Penny and Bart Reed... the day before the TV show.(They had a private plane which Bart flew back and forth from Miami to Inagua , he was based at both places working for Morton Salt).

My parents made me have the lift.

I was so sad. I so wanted to be on TV. I so wanted to sing. I so wanted to sing with George... we had practised and practised........... and yes the carol was O Holy Night........

So now when I hear it memories flood back.

Sadly there is a post script to this:

Penny and Bart had three children Stephanie (six yrs older than me), Randolph ... known as Randy (my age ), and Vicky... 5 yrs younger.
Well a year after  we got back to England (1961) ... Penny, Bart and Vicky did the same trip..... They were lost... no sightings of plane wreckage.... it was assumed that they were lost in the Bermuda Triangle.........


I include now O Holy Night, not sung by George and I, but by Charlotte Church and Placido Domingo.

Happy Christmas.

HUG ME, I'VE GOT MND