FIRST CHRISTMAS STORY - In 1978, I was asked to perform a song for a church Christmas party. On the morning of the party (procrastinating until the last moment, of course), I descended into my office in the unfinished basement of our home to pick something to sing, but my eye caught on my copy of the Bible sitting on the corner of my desk. I opened up to the Gospel of Luke and started to read the account of Joseph and Mary, the stable and shepherds. I lingered at Luke 2:19: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.” Why would Luke make this observation? Then a scene formed in my head of Luke talking to Mary about the feelings of a mother about the birth of her child. I thought of a tradition we have in our family--on our childrens' birthdays, we talk about the things that happened on the day they were born. Then another scene hit me--represented by the drawing of L'Orel Olsen above. Then I started to write. Thirty minutes later, First Christmas Story emerged from my pen. I performed the song that night and my family has performed the song over the years in a few places and almost always around Christmas time. Then something amazing happened. I started to get letters from people I had never met. People I knew started to report that they heard the song performed at their church in other cities and other states. My sister, Bonnie Lee, heard the song performed at church in Japan! So finally, years later, I did something about it. Kurt Bestor, the well-known and highly regarded composer and performer, arranged First Christmas Story, and I am making it available on this website in sheet music form as my Christmas gift to you. In addition, several years ago my family, the Crabb Family (not to be confused with the bluegrass singing Crabb Family) recorded the song. I would like you to have that too. Just click on the buttons below.
