SPECIAL MUSICIANS ADD TO HOLIDAY CHEER

Everywhere you go, there is music in the air. Most of the time shoppers don't even pay attention to the ever-present melodies that play in shopping malls and retail stores. This so-called elevator music has become so prevalent that many would-be listeners just block it out.

But during the holiday season, familiar songs are played over and over, and it is difficult to avoid the holiday sounds from before Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. For some, hearing "I'll Be Home for Christmas" for the hundredth time can be annoying, particularly if the sound system is scratchy or too loud.

All of which makes some of the holiday music even more special. Who can resist stopping to listen to a high school choir or a children's Sunday school class when the singers line up, row on row, and sing their hearts out amid the hustle and bustle of seasonal shopping?

Shoppers in the Cape Girardeau area are particularly blessed to find so many talented groups that are willing to take the time and make the effort to lend their collective voices to make joyful holiday music in the shopping malls. Best of all, many times shoppers know the singers or even have sons or daughters, grandsons or granddaughters, who are making the most of their musical abilities.

Thank you to all the musical groups who are adding a special touch to the music of the season all around us.