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By James Kinneen
Hometown Weekly Reporter
No matter how many Christmas seasons you’ve lived through, nobody knows the second verse of “Deck the Halls.”
Such was the issue on Wednesday afternoon, when a brief technological issue nearly derailed the Christmas sing-along at the Center in Medfield hosted by the Medfield Helping Hearts, a nine-member and nine-parent co-op of local fifth graders.
Luckily, ornament necklace-clad Medfield Council on Aging transportation coordinator Bill Pardi was able to fix the laptop and display the lyrics eventually, allowing everyone present to sing along with full knowledge of the words. However, the brief delay did have one advantage: it allowed more time for the four Santa hat-wearing fifth graders from the Helping Hearts to distribute hot cocoa and Christmas cookies to the seniors, which they did with a cheerful glee.
The girls and seniors line dance to ‘Jingle Bell Rock.’
When everyone had their fill of cocoa and cookies, the singing began. Joined by a full band of guitarists, a drummer and a pianist, and interrupted by the occasional yip of Buddy the dog, the girls sat on the floor and led the singing. Songs included “Deck the Halls,” “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas,” and ”The Little Drummer Boy.”
But it was the dancing that got the crowd most excited.
After having taught a group of seniors some line dancing steps in the past, the girls and a few seniors got up during “Jingle Bell Rock” and showed their moves, performing a dance most similar to the electric slide. When that subsided, the Center performed the lesser known song, “May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You,” which traditionally ends their sing-alongs, as it is “soft and slow.”
However, because the girls did not want to stop singing, they performed an impromptu version of “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer,” which was not put on screen.
In the end, Medfield’s Helping Hearts brought cocoa, cookies and comfort to the seniors of Medfield - just in time for the holidays.
