Seasons Greetings Everyone!

Here is wishing you all the best for this joyous season – Hanukkah, Christmas, the New Year and every other occasion! We continue our journey together of spreading healing, reconciliation and patriotism through music, for yet one more year! We do not take this privilege for granted, and would like to make 2010 our best year ever. The idea for a National Medical Musical Group was conceived precisely 20 years ago – so this is our 20th Anniversary year! I had sometime ago started sharing some “memory lane” stories and highlights. Many of you liked that corporate history and asked for more. I hope we will have the opportunity to do that soon.

END OF THE YEAR CONTRIBUTIONS. I want to bring to your attention the real and profound budgetary needs of our Group at this time. As is the case with many other organizations, 2009 was quite difficult. We all enjoy the glorious concerts and performances. However, remember that behind “all that jazz” is a lot of hard work, fundraising and actual expenses. Our overhead is literally $0.00 (zero dollars), and 100% of the work done in administering our Group is performed by volunteers. However, production costs of our programs of national and international caliber add up very quickly. As a case in point, the mere staging for the chorus rows in last month’s concert in DC cost us almost $7,000. Hail Britannia tour was helpful in bringing in some revenue. And yet, we still owe production expenses for the concerts. Our Treasurer, Bob Wisleder, will send out our 2009 financial statement soon.

We usually use these very last days of the year to make contributions to the Group’s finances. These are tax-deductible, and VA-NMMG is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt nonprofit organization. Several of us contribute hundreds and some even thousands of dollars to the Group. In fact, some of you have already sent in your contributions for this year-end. We appreciate that very much indeed and will post the 2009 Honor Roll on our website. Please seriously consider your personal ability to contribute and also whether the work of the group is worthy of inclusion in the charities you normally support. Then, act accordingly.

TO DONATE. To donate on line, please go to www.medicalmusical.org, click on "Donate". This will get you to a Secure Site where you can make your contribution by credit card. If you wish to send a check, please make it payable to VA-NMMG and mail it to VA-NMMG, Attn: Robert Wisleder, 45 Kimball Beach Road, Hingham, MA 02043-1145. As a token of appreciation, we will send a complimentary DVD for every donation of $50 (and for each of its multiples). There is still time to count your donation against 2009 taxes. Thank you all for considering this opportunity for giving to a worthy cause!

THE 2010 NATIONAL VETERANS DAY CONCERT. This will be our 20th Anniversary Concert, and we hope to have a magnificent program celebrating that milestone. We have now heard from the good folks at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. They will provide it again to us for a Wednesday, November 10, 2010, concert – the eve of Veterans Day. Thursday, November 11, is a Federal Holiday, so hopefully more audience can come to the concert on a weekday night. We may also be able to include the concert in the official VA calendar of events, increasing the likelihood that the President may attend. Rehearsals start Saturday, November 6, 2010, at a hotel (TBD) in Washington , DC . Incidentally, there is general agreement that we would focus our concerts on the November season, skipping a June concert. Again, this is in light of the current economy.

OVERSEAS TOUR “Vive la France 2010!” By popular demand of many members, our 2010 overseas trip is to Paris, France . We will be based in Paris but have day excursions to other locations, e.g. Normandy Beach . After Paris as the Main Trip, the Optional Extension is to Brussels, Belgium . Dates are November 11 – 18, 2010, for the Main Trip in Paris , and Nov. 18 -21 for the Optional Extension in Brussels . Incidentally, one of the secondary “Optional Excursions” from Brussels is a day excursion to neighboring Amsterdam , Holland – a 3rd country in the same trip!

Accordingly, Here’s a Preliminary Itinerary for Next November:

· Saturday, November 6, 2010: Start rehearsals in DC

· Wednesday, November 10, 2010: 2010 National Veterans Day Concert, National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, DC.

· Thursday, November 11, 2010: Main Trip “Vive la France 2010!” begins.

· Thursday, November 18, 2010: Main Trip ends.

· Thursday, November 18, 2010: Optional Extension begins. Brussels , Belgium .

· Sunday, November 21, 2010: Optional Extension ends.

VIDEOS. Our webmaster Kurt Klotz has posted 3 newsclips from our DC concert on YouTube – thanks Kurt! Check these out at:

1. WJLA-7 News, 11/4/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx2o8J3rGgM  (1 minute).

2. VA News, 11/16/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlF5dQyXa9I  (5 minutes).

3. Newschannel 8, 11/3/09: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwD7yPdF848  (5 minutes).

PERSONALIA

1. William Jackson (Husband of Soprano Margaret Jackson). I am very sorry to report Bill’s untimely passing last month. Bill was a dear personal friend to me, and to countless members of the group. His sense of humor was infectious, and his readiness to help endeared him to all. Ironically, Bill left us on November 2, during our rehearsals for the DC concert. Those of us who knew Bill were doubly saddened by the timing of this bittersweet farewell. Bill’s memory will always remain alive in our minds and hearts. We will miss him, but will never forget him. Our prayers are with you Margaret, and we embrace you with our love and concern. Margaret’s email is WJackso606@aol.com.

2. Kurt Klotz (Horn Principal and Webmaster). Kurt, a virtuoso French Horn player, was recently featured performing the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto #1 in Eb Major, with the Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra. As expected from Kurt, it was a masterful performance! Listen to an excerpt at http://tampabaysymphony.com/recordings.htm. Congratulations Kurt. As I always say: You are a man of many talents! Kurt’s email is kklotz@yahoo.com.

Now, here’s something for all the kids amongst you, from 1 to 92 – As it has been said many times, many ways: “Merry Christmas, To You!”

 Victor