O! Holy Night...One Christmas in the 1960s [View all]

Good song for both baritone and tenors. One year, after completing a total immersion 9 months USAF Russian language school, I was home on leave between assignments. The choir director at my old church learned that I was in town and since it was close to Christmas, he asked if I would sing something at the service.

I agreed, for old time's sake, although I was no longer a church-goer. I suggested that I do O! Holy Night, in a bilingual version. The original language is French,which I also spoke. He said, "sure."

Then, I thought, why not translate the lyrics into Russian, and do it in all three? So, I did a good, poetic translation into Russian. A rehearsal with the organist went smoothly.

So, that Sunday I returned to my old church, where I had sung many times before, and sang the three-language version of that popular Christmas son. I was in my USAF dress uniform.

To my surprise, a couple of church members came up after the service and vehemently attacked me verbally for singing the Russian lyrics. This was in December, 1966. I was dumbfounded. I couldn't even respond to them.

Later, I realized that they were so brainwashed about the Soviet Union that it completely walked over the fact that I had sung a purely Christian Christmas song in a different language. It had nothing to do with political theories.

That was the last time I ever set foot in that church. Ignorance, prejudice, and hypocrisy was the order of the day there.