Oh Holy Night - a Remembrance

When I was like in fourth or fifth grade, in choir, I was selected to sing the solo of "Oh, Holy Night" at the Christmas midnight mass. My testicles still hadn't descended, so I had quite a pure voice, lol.

And, thank God, Dean Asselin (sp) had moved to another school. Who was Dean Asselin? Well, he was the hero of the school early on because he was on the syndicated Arthur Godfrey TV talent show. He sang "Oh, Danny Boy" and it about broke your heart... he was GOOD!

I practiced and practiced under the tutelage of Sister Marie Aquin. Now, I must confess here, she was not like most of the other nuns (short, fat, unattractive and mean). She was tall, slender, lovely and, well, okay, still mean. But, I think most of my classmates (as did I) got their first boner looking at her (what exactly did that habit hide?)

Was she a perfectionist? Well, when we sang "Silent Night" (and we were little kids, okay?) She used to scream at us: "'It's not 'Holy infantso tender and mild' It's 'Holy infant (pause) so tender and mild'")

Anyway, it was Christmas Eve, about 9:00 PM and I got sick. I started throwing up and my parents called the church and explained I wouldn't be able to make it. Looking back over some 50 years, I'm guessing it was nerves, but they decided it was flu and left me at home.

Mark Hartner was my replacement and for years I resented that (I'm serious!) That was my gig, man!