December 7, 2024, at 2:00 pm
The place. One hour before the book launch no chairs were set up in the event space. No tables for the books or for the Irish tea refreshments had been cleared. My publisher had teased me about having a book launch in a plant store. I write historical fiction not gardening books. I had been to an event at Foxglove Plantbar and it was terrific. The store has tall ceilings. A living room is set up in the middle of the store with trees in pots decorated with lights and ornaments for the holidays. A small green house is on one side of the shop.
I was nervous after planning for months to have the book launch the first week in December, but the title of the book won me over. I spoke with one of the staff members, the owner had not arrived. However, within minutes after the owner arrived, chairs were placed, plants moved, tables cleared off, and everything was ready to welcome guests to the book launch. Magic happened that day in the plant store. Foxglove was an excellent place to hold my book launch.
Co-sponsors. Neighborhood Books and Foxglove Plantbar made a plant store into an inviting space for people to mingle, to talk, to greet people they had not seen in a while, and to meet others who were there to buy a plant but stayed to hear the Wexford carols and book reading. I thanked my publisher, Leigh Ebberwein of Old Fort Press, and the others helping to make the launch run smoothly: Rob White brought in shelving displays for the books, Ralitsa Vassileva (a colleague from the Grady College with 22 years as an international anchor for CNN) helped at the sales table; Dr. Kathie Balutansky (a friend for many years) managed the Irish Tea table, and Maria Ramos (who creates papercraft journals and cat-themed coloring books) created the Neighborhood Books sign at the selling table. My family was there with my daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. We were ready.
Program. Welcoming the sixty plus people who came out on a Saturday afternoon, Sean Polite, host of weekend programming at WUGA (NPR affiliate radio in Athens, Georgia), introduced the Book Club Singers. The professional musicians included Michael Brewer (Conductor of the Classic City Band, the oldest continuing functioning community band in Georgia), Terri Tillman (sings with the Master Chorale, a group of 50 select singers who performed twice in Carnegie Hall in NY, at several venues in Atlanta, and at the Biltmore House in Asheville, NC), Tom Wilson (soloist with the Master Chorale), Rosemary Woodel (founder of the “Oldies But Goodies” a 23 member ukelele group who performed at Historic Athens Porchfest and other venues), Aimée Marcoux (former opera singer and professional flutist, currently associate conductor of the Classic City Band, and morning host at WUGA), and Clinton Rogers (singer, plays trumpet, piano, and organ). Beverly Fetter accompanied the singers on the keyboard. Rebekah Boles, my piano teacher, pianist for the Athens Symphony and music coordinator for this project, had to play at a wedding but ran in to set up everything and returned to take everything down. She coordinated the music and guided us in rehearsals.
I introduced the carols with brief history.
“The Darkest Midnight in December” gets its title from the Wexford carol. Many of the carols have been remembered by the first line rather than a title. In my book, one of the characters, Connor, rushes his accounting project taking place in Savannah, Georgia in 1907, to return to County Wexford in time to hear the first of the carols and to celebrate Christmas Day with his family. The title is a used to show how the carols became a part of family and tradition during the holidays.
The Wexford carols are sung beginning on Christmas Eve through the 12 days of Christmas in County Wexford, Ireland.
“At midnight Mass in the dead of winter people come from all the surrounding counties to hear the carols sung,” according to Paddy Berry, traditional Irish singer living outside of Wexford who has won many awards for his talent.
This tradition has been alive for nearly 300 years as families pass the carols from one generation to the next. Handwritten in leather-bound books, the manuscripts were fantastically ornamented with hand-drawn figures.
Most of the carols are thought to have been written by Rev. William Devereux. Three of the carols have been attributed to Bishop Luke Wadding of Ferns. First sung in a little chapel at Killiane, the choir consisted of six men who divided themselves into two groups of three to sing alternate stanzas. The carols had wide appeal because they were sung by men who were known in the community as everyday men and not the clergy.
Of the thirteen carols, eight are sung during the Christmas period, the first at Mass on Christmas Day and the last one on Sunday nearest Twelfth Day. Though I refer to these as the Wexford carols, they are also known as the Kenmore carols.
Today you will hear six of the carols. Whereas some of the carols have the same air, four will be read. Another one is often a flute solo (Aimee will play today). Attempting to stay with the original carols, the performance will be sung a cappella and by only six people.Phrasing and consonant accents are also based on the traditional carols. A recording of the performance will be sent to friends in County Wexford who invited me to a traditional singing session at Mary’s Bar in September when I visited Ireland.
The Book Club Singers sang a cappella on carols 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, and 12. Carols 4, 5, 6, and 10 have similar airs to the other carols and therefore I read the verses to keep the story line of the carols intact. Carol 11 is often performed as a flute solo, thus our professional flutiest, Aimée Marcoux, played the carol. The 7th and 13th carols have been lost or not sung for decades. We followed history’s lead since there were often many verses and many variations to the carols researched. Rebekah chose a few verses from each to keep the program at a good listening length. The carols were performed in the traditional order as follows.
- The Darkest Midnight in December (1 st carol for Christmas) also titled “On Christ’s
Nativity” - Christmas Day is Come (2nd carol for Christmas) also titled “Second Carol for Christmas Day”
- Song of the Sons of Men (3rd carol for Christmas) also titled “Third Carol for Christmas Day”
- An Angel this Night (4 th carol for Christmas) also titled “Fourth Carol for Christ’s
Nativity) Verses 4 and 5 - Song for St. Stephen’s Day, Verses 1 and 6
- Song for St. John’s Day, Verses 1, 10, 15 and 16
- Song for the Holy Innocents, music has been lost through the ages
- Song for St. Sylvester’s Day
- Song for the New Year’s Day
- Second carol for New Year’s Day, Verses 1 and 11
- Jerusalem (1 st carol for Twelfth Day) also titled “Song of Jerusalem”
- Now to Conclude our Christmas Mirth (2 nd carol for Twelfth Day) also titled “Song for
Twelfth Day - The Virgin Queen of Bethlehem, not sung.
Attributed to Joseph Ranson, C.C. (The Kilmore Carols)
The final carol performed by the Book Club Singers was the Wexford carol also titled “Good People All, This Christmastime,” arranged by John Rutter, with solos by Michael Brewer, Aimée Marcoux, Clinton Rogers, and Tom Wilson with keyboard accompaniment by Beverly Fetter.
Book Reading. Before I read from “The Darkest Midnight in December,” I offered further
evidence that the Wexford carols have become international. The carols have been performed by many musicians such as Julie Andrews, Caitriona O’Leary, the Celtic Woman, Tom Jones, Yo-Yo Ma with Alison Krauss, and John Rutter who added one of the carols to his Christmas Album with the Cambridge Singers. Additionally, the award-winning pianist in Atlanta, Pam Asberry, has recorded one of the carols. Her music can be found here:
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVLBJcqJivc.
Two extraordinary women were present at the launch. I dedicated the book to Kris Schultz and Stacia Price. Both women have made me a healthier person because of their friendships and training as nurses. The idea of writing “The Darkest Midnight in December” was because I learned about a renowned nursing program at a hospital in Savannah. According to the St. Joseph’s/Candler network, the St. Joseph’s Hospital School of Nursing operated from 1902-1969, graduating 741 nurses. These graduates served in the U.S., Philippines, Puerto Rico, West Africa, England, Italy, and Ireland. The story that Sister Mary Joyce tells in Mrs. Schultz’s parlor is a true history of the founding of the school. More history of the nursing program is provided in the author’s notes at the end of the book. Eleven of the women living in Mrs. Schultz’s boarding house were women of Irish immigrants training to be nurses. Dedicating the book to two women who have accepted the call to care for others and to be such friends for me, was easy to do.
Surprises happened during the launch. My sister-friend, Dr. Louise Benjamin, flew in from Kansas without telling me. She stayed for dinner with the family and through the weekend to catch up. Janet Geddis, owner of Avid Bookshop came with neighbor friend, Bonnie Cramond. Lisa and Chuck Conner arrived. Chuck is a long-time writing friend of mine with three books out. Lisa is the daughter of Steffen Thomas and is the former director of the Steffen Thomas Museum of Art in Buckhead, Georgia (just outside of Madison, Georgia). The interview on “Athens News Matters” was produced by Emma Auer. WUGA has been supportive of many artists and writers in Athens. The YWCO water fitness class was represented by Mary Stakes (our leader), Halley Page, and Jan Coyne. Our former District Attorney, Deborah Gonzalez, was there. Ramsey Nix, my student and now instructor at Grady College (UGA) stopped in. Mark Katzman, an artist, book author, playwright, screenwriter, and musician represented by Neighborhood Books was there.
Refreshments had people eating and talking. I made most of the food. Emma Auer liked the cucumber sandwiches and wanted the recipe. The folks who tried the Barmbrack Tea Bread, discovered a moist, tender cake perfect for teatime and is made with brewed Irish tea and dried fruit. Cranberry/orange scones shared a tiered tray with chocolate chip cookies and banana muffins. Pomegranate and goat cheese tea sandwiches and shortbread cookies completed the menu. Drinks were available for sale by Foxglove.
Book signing and greeting friends new and old ended the day with the magic that began with the location (Foxglove), with the professional set up for selling my books (Neighborhood Books), and for the willingness of the musicians to practice, learn the songs, and then to perform in a plant store on a Saturday afternoon in December.
Leara Rhodes 