By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
Interactive activities are all the rage this year. During “A Colonial Christmas,” the holiday program performed by the Mountain Fifes & Drums Corps, the band members will be dancing the 18th century Virginia reel with members of the audience.
The concert will be performed at the San Moritz Lodge on Saturday, Dec. 13. The Virginia reel is just one of the many parts of “A Mount Vernon Homecoming” that involves the interaction with audience, as everyone watches and hears American Revolutionary War history unfold before their eyes. It is both a delightful way to learn about the beginnings of America’s historical story and a wonderful musical concert, unlike any other in California.
Since next July 4 is the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this program will be even more meaningful this year. One of the purposes of this concert is to raise funds so the Mountain Fifes & Drum Corps can go to Colonial Williamsburg next May 22 to perform.
This play – which tells the story of George Washington returning home to Mount Vernon – was written with the San Moritz Lodge building in mind by the late Kevin Garland, who founded the Mountain Fifes & Drums.
Recently, the Fifes & Drums performed at the Christmas tree lighting in Lake Arrowhead Village on Nov. 28. They will be performing in the Blue Jay holiday parade this coming Saturday, Dec. 6. On Dec. 9 they will be doing a Christmas performance at the Richard Nixon Library & Museum in Loma Linda.
The Mount Vernon Homecoming portion of the play includes the speech Washington gave to his troops before returning to his home at Mount Vernon at the end of the Revolutionary War.
The interactive play involves the audience in more ways than just dancing. The concert also includes a dessert of apple pie and cookies made from authentic colonial recipes, along with hot cider and coffee, which are served as a part of the script. The audience gets to sing Christmas carols to the accompaniment of the Fifes & Drums at the end of the show.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. with the concert beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the San Moritz Lodge at 14640 San Moritz Drive in Crestline. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children 12 and under; they are available at donorbox.org/colonial-christmas-concert.
For more information on their music program, see their website, www.fifesanddrums.org.
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