A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!
December 24. 2004. Across the pale gray river, more and more
high-rise apartment buildings loom on the
Dana and I are
teaching full-time at Nyack College, New York City, where our primary
responsibilities are in the School of Music. I was appointed Head of the Department of
Fine Arts, and the Lord has continued to bless the School of Music with growth over the
four years we have been there. We work with the
Here is a link by which you may hear some of the members of the NCMC Chorale singing “Silent Night,” together with other people gathered in honor of the occasion, a Christmas recital at Nyack College, Manhattan Campus. Freshman Dixin Chen is the soloist for the first verse, in Chinese; he is joined by opera singer and friend, Linda Lane Smith, for the second verse, in German. On the third verse, Jonathan Perez sings in Spanish; on the fourth, Marita Ramos and Felipe Itaborai sing in Portuguese. Sue is playing the piano. Finally, everyone sings together in English, followed by a word of prayer from the minister at The Lamb’s Theater, The Rev.John Bowen. The recording was made by Prof. Eleazer Rodriguez and Christopher Kray, with just one microphone, so you don’t quite get the sound of the whole group, but I think you can get the idea just fine. It meant a lot to me to hear it, as so many of us expressed Christmas in our own language and in our way. I hope the spirit of the occasion will come through to you! Dana streamed it so that you could hear it as our Christmas greeting to you. It will play on RealPlayer and you can hear it by pushing Control and clicking on the following link:
I hope that you will enjoy it. I wish you ALL could have been a part of that recital gathering, and then with us when we went over to our friends, the Dobbs’, home, and lingered before the beautiful fireplace over Christmas carols and goodies. After those pleasant times followed the final exams and grading and the illnesses and pressures that come when there are just too many things going on at once, and somehow with all of it, I did not get a chance to send out either Christmas gifts or cards. But we are rejoicing in spirit this night as we prepare to celebrate the wonderful Nativity of Christ. I know that you are rejoicing in spirit, as well!
Jonathan, 22 and 6’2”, is
doing well at Fordham University, Lincoln Center, where he is majoring in Drama
(Directing). He’s getting a good, well-rounded education. We saw his
latest directed a scene the week before Thanksgiving and were very impressed by
his accomplishment. I had no idea how much there really is to theater.
Sharing his experience is quite an education for me.
I don’t want to bore you by going on and
on about our doings, but they keep us busy. Now that I’m older and don’t
seem to need as much sleep, I get up early in the morning and go to bed at 11 or
12 at night and sometimes Dana and I are at the college until 10 in the
evening. It’s a good thing we like it there!
Christmas is a time when it
is particularly delightful to connect with loved ones far away and to remind us
that there is more to life than our little corner of it. Please keep us
in your prayers. It’s a great way to stay in touch—the best, in fact.
We will do the same for you.
Thank you for your friendship and patience with us as I have not written for so long. Jonathan, Dana and I send you much love and best wishes for Christmas and the New Year. We miss traveling and seeing our wonderful Christian family all over the world regularly. But we are grateful for the current ministry we have been given.
May God Bless Your family today and always!
Christ is born! Glorify Him! And may you have a wonderful Christmas and a New Year filled with the desires of your heart. Thank you so much for all you mean to us and all that you do.
With Love,
Dana, Sue, and Jonathan Talley
Merry Christmas 2004!
If you wish to click on the links below, we will sing and play for you! (Real Audio is needed to hear selections.)
