From the December 14, 1962 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

It isn’t Christmas yet but it’s pre-Christmas, a division of the season that has become a time apart in our modern year. Some may say that pre-Christmas is a commercial arrangement, and so it is in a sense; but Christmas givers must have gifts to give, a matter more difficult than it was when frankincense and myrrh were all in all. And so there must be shopping, other preparations too, as the days of the calendar become fewer.

The lights go on, the decorations appear in shop windows, the postoffices assume an appearance of rush and abundance, the thoughts of countless people move in the same direction. That alone is a good thing — that so many should turn away from the routines and press of affairs to share the significance of approaching Christmas.

The music of the season is already both heard and unheard by the human ear; some is external, some is internal.

Christmas parties with exchanges of gifts follow one another in quickening sequence. It is necessary for clubs and societies and brotherhoods to begin early in order to get them all in before the eve of the day itself. So full, so overflowing is pre-Christmas on the Vineyard.

The lights shine out, an inevitability takes charge, and through the rush and commerce and all the rest runs the harmony of a central purpose.

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Something more than an ordinary cold snap was indicated this week by the constantly dropping temperature, noticeable for the past three days. With a variable westerly wind, during the entire period, local weather prophets predicted just about everything except what actually occurred. A few snow flurries and cloudiness which, with a mirage over the Sound promised a shift of wind and snow, yet yesterday morning dawned with the wind still in a westerly quarter and temperature readings around 12 to 14 degrees above zero.

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   There was a capacity audience last night at Tisbury Auditorium when Mrs. Stuart A. Bangs, the vocal director of the school, directed a chorus consisting of approximately one hundred and twenty voices in what was undoubtedly her most outstanding Christmas concert so far.

As always, Mrs. Bangs’ control of the young voices was fully apparent, but this time even more so for the reason that her program was made up largely of numbers which were obviously difficult to perform. Moreover, of the several groups of songs, there were few which the pupils could have known with any degree of familiarity previous to beginning rehearsals for this particular program.

The enthusiasm of the audience was unrestrained. Parents and others, familiar with group singing, clearly recognized the excellence of the singing and the skill of their director. The mingled voices of junior high and sixth graders rose and fell in a harmony which approached professionalism.

Mrs. Bangs also introduced several soloists in the course of the program, whose individual performances reflected a high degree of credit upon their instructor.

To say that the concert was excellent is putting it mildly, as the audience would agree. The impression of the layman was that these children revealed a knowledge of vocal music beyond that of the average adult, and put heart and soul into their singing.

The accompanist was Florence L. Flanders. The special groups who performed during the evening were as follows:

Girls ensemble: Loree Amaral, Joyce Burgess, Kathryn Davies, Patricia Hughes, Jenny Painter, Barbara Silva, Margaret Love, Laura Murphy, Cheryl Resendes.

Male ensemble: Michael Dolby, Donald Fisher, Michael Fontes, Alan Maciel, David Donald, Albert Fisher, John Mayhew, Fancis Cecilio, Daniel Metell.

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Hundreds of Island children congregated at the Tisbury fire station on Saturday afternoon to welcome Santa Claus and to receive the gifts which he distributed through the arrangement of Chief Lawrence W. Winterbottom and his fireman.

The annual event proceeded according to the traditional plan. Santa arrived by helicopter which landed at Veterans Memorial Park. There he was picked up by a piece of fire apparatus and escorted by another piece, also the fire chief’s car. Santa was taken through the village streets, and so, by a circuitous route, to the fire station.

The scene was a lively one at the station, for it was a question whether the children were most intrigued by Santa himself or the red and glittering fire apparatus which they were allowed to examine minutely. While some groups surged around Santa, receiving candy bags, others swarmed over the big pumper and the ladder-truck, holding the steering-wheels and ringing the bells which are a part of the equipment.

Compiled by Hilary Wallcox

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