A pair of medieval fiddles built by John Bromka, half of the Bells and Motley duo who will be playing at the Empire State Railway Museum this Saturday.
Something magical happens when a community actually celebrates together; when it’s not just going through the motions because that’s what you’re supposed to do, or simply what you have to do in order to make a few additional sales. That is not to say that shoppers aren’t being seriously courted here right about now. Merchants in Phoenicia, just like everywhere else, do need extra sales around Christmastime to keep their businesses solvent for the year.
But Phoenicia, along with its neighbors throughout Shandaken, forms a community more than it does a shopping district. That just comes with the rural territory, where locals inevitably become familiar to other locals, even if you can’t quite remember someone’s first name. Life in Phoenicia in the mid-spring through early fall mostly happens on the street. It’s compact, casual and warm, with several places to eat and drink outside, which increases the chances you’ll run into people you know any time you walk down Main Street. Come winter, something seems to be missing and, when you get down to it, I think what we’re missing is each other.
This past Sunday, the Empire State Railway Museum and the Catskill Mountain Railroad held their annual Christmas celebration at the old Phoenicia Train Station, where the museum is located. It’s hard for me to fathom a more inviting place to hold an event. There is something about that old wooden building that makes people immediately comfortable as soon as they step inside. Of course, apple cider and a seemingly endless array of homemade desserts contributed to that cozy feeling, as revelers watched old model trains winding their way across sculpted miniature landscapes.
Santa and Mrs. Claus were there pretty much all afternoon, handing out coupons for free rides on the train, which had to depart from the Mount Tremper stop this year since the rails heading into the Phoenicia Station are still washed out from the summer storms. When this party comes around again next December though, the train should again be waiting at the station for partiers to board. It’s hard to go wrong with a tradition like that.
Speaking of tradition and the Phoenicia Train Station, another festive gathering is happening at the Empire State Railway Museum this Saturday evening, December 17. The museum is joining with Flying Cat Music to bring some very traditional yuletide music into Phoenicia for the holidays, “Christmas Long Ago and Far Away” by Bells and Motley. If you like roots music you’ll love this performance. Bells and Motley consists of Sondra and John Bromka, and they take roots music to the extreme. Not only do they perform music dating back to the Medieval period on period instruments, they even build those authentic period instruments themselves! Showtime is 7:30 pm prompt, and tickets are $12 at the door, or $10 with an RSVP to flyingcatmusic@gmail.com.
The Phoenicia Christmas Grand Finale comes on December 23rd, with several coordinated events in the center of the hamlet. The festivities will commence at 4:00 pm, when the Shandaken Theatrical Society holds its free annual Christmas show, this year called Ho Ho Holy Christmas, with Uncle Rock, Tofu Decoy, and more. More, by the way, includes Santa who has plans to attend. From there, everyone is invited to wander across the street to Mama’s Boy where free cookies and hot cider, and a chance to catch up on socializing, will be offered.
That, of course, makes for the perfect prelude and gathering point for the next event: caroling in town with the Community Choir at 6:00 pm. The Community Choir consists of thirty or so local volunteers committed to public singing, but they spontaneously expand to a chorus of over a hundred, if last year’s Christmas caroling is any indication of what is in store for us this year. There are no bystanders, just one joyous mob of young and old alike holding candles and lyric sheets, walking through the village lit by holiday lights, singing songs that virtually everyone knows. I took part last year; I thought it would be fun. I was mistaken; it was much more than just fun. It was special in a way few events I have ever attended have been. The glow it left me with lingered well over a week, and returns to me even now just remembering it.
With the evening still young, all are then invited to attend a very special free concert version of The Messiah at 7:30 at the Wesleyan Church (24 Main Street) with Maria Todaro, Louis Otey, Chuck Sokolowski, Amy Wallace, Kerry Henderson, and Brittany Sokolowski performing. That’s a cast that cities 100 times the size of Phoenicia would envy being able to host. Todaro, Otey and Henderson are all leading lights in international opera, as well as the founders of the Phoenicia International Festival of Voice; while Amy Wallace and both Sokolowskis have starred in multiple STS musical productions.
Tom Rinaldo writes the Dispatches from Shandaken column for the Watershed Post's Shandaken page. Email Tom at tomrinaldo@watershedpost.com.
