Will You Be Here This December?

by Teresa Jennings

It's one of life's ironies: As joyous a time as December can be, it can also be one of the most painful for some people, especially when someone dear is absent during the holidays. We are always particularly mindful of the men and women who are away from home serving our country during this season. We know it can be very rough for families. Which is why we want to make sure that our absent loved ones know they are here in our hearts, despite the distance. It should be noted however, that this song does not specifically mention our troops, so it could be used in other ways as you find applicable.

The song is gentle and sweet, and the lyrics are quite poignant. (Teresa tells us that she kept choking up while she was working on this one.) While the melody is memorable, it might be a little more challenging for young singers. But if you let the recording set an example, it should be learned readily.

You'll notice that we used a couple of soloists for the first section (Jenson Harris and Grace Morgan). This is optional, but it's a nice touch if you can do it.

Text is taken from Music K-8 magazine.