ZORRA - Concert memories

A Christmas school concert in about 1945-46. A school concert was always a big event at that time. My mother sewed me a new dress for the show. There was no snow on the ground that year so we were able to walk the mile and a half to school from our home.

It was the 24th of December, as most concerts in those days were started with the youngest children saying their welcome and Christmas verses. Then the older children would perform their drills, then the orchestra band, then came the favourite skits or plays done by the mixed ages. The only play which stands out in my mind is the one of the Home Hardware advertisement on the radio. We had on the stage a radio, a grandpa, a grandma and some little children all dressed for the occasion and the radio announcers behind the curtains.

Grandpa wanted to find a program which had some Christmas songs playing. When he turned the radio on, the Home Hardware commercial came on advertising the Super, Great Mouse Trap. After the commercial was over, the radio announcer said he will continue with the hockey game. My brother was really into hockey, so he was the play-by-play announcer. He was really good and he made it sound like a chasing game. After the game was over, Grandpa asked, "Did they catch the mouse?" The audience filled the school with laughter. Next came the choir singing. As we lived in the Ukrainian settlement, there was always some Ukrainian thrown in to the concert. First we sang in English then in Ukrainian, and we always ended with 'Here Comes Santa Claus.' Thats when all the children got so excited that the teachers often gave up trying to quieten the children down. We all got a big bag with an orange, an apple and some peanuts and candy. Then all the children received two gifts; one from the school, and one from the teachers.

Those were the days before the school unities came in. As remembered by Marjory Anthony. The school was in Rhein District named Vionne School.