Monique's 91 year old grandmother is my neighbor, so they knew I was busy with filming things because I am always carrying camera equipment around. They asked me in the summer if I would film the event. I actually felt honored because it meant they saw me as part of the community and the neighborhood.
This was a magical day. In 18 years of living here, I had never experienced such a sense of community, sharing, and enjoyment. There were stands with soup and hot mulled wine or hot chocolate. Kids performed their version of Dickens' The Christmas Story with Tiny Tim and Scrooge. People wandered about in period costumes. A sort of "Barber Shop Quartet" sang old standards - and, of course, there were carolers and dancers, too.
The atmosphere was rich in smells, sounds and colors - like stage set for theater, which it was, for 6 hours. One performance after another, effortlessly, and seemingly integrated with the audience. We even had snow blowing around.
Have a look at the photos from the day. I am still busy editing the video, but the cuts look good. Jonathan Marks and Sierd Loman did a great job with the camera work - many thanks to them.
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