A big part of Christmas when I was growing up was the church Christmas cantatas. The adult choir in the 60's did one of John W. Peterson's cantatas each Christmas. They were so singable. Although I don't believe I ever sang in one, the songs all seem familiar and when I hear them, I think of being a kid at Mayfair Bible Church.
We had a children's choir at Mayfair, Cherub Choir, which practiced after school on Wednesdays. Since we went to several different schools, our parents would pick us up at school and drive us to church. We would sit in the pews and work on homework until everyone got there. Clem Bilhorn was our music director and he taught us about note values with milk cartons (gallon=whole note, half gallon=half note, etc.). We learned all of our songs from pictures on poster boards. Seems to me we sang every other month or so.
We would meet in the Primary S.S. room (Fireplace Room) and get our robes on. Cherub Choir wore white robes with red collars that hung down the front. We would roll them up and let them drop while we were waiting. We practiced and then filed upstairs through the Beginner S.S. classroom into the church sanctuary. We would sit on the front row (both sides) until it was time to sing. Then we filed up onto the steps to sing. Must have filed out and changed out of the robes, but I don't remember that.
The Crusader Choir was the teens. Clem went to another church when I was in 6th or 7th grade so I don't think I ever sang in that choir.
One year Mom was sick and didn't get to go/sing in the Christmas cantata. I remember that being a very sad Sunday.
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