When I was in the Professional Musician's Union they'd ask for paid volunteers to do public service gigs to promote live music. The pay was about minimum wage so few would do it, but we had band members that were living on nearly nothing. We were touring from childrens disabled centers to hospitals to nursing homes, etc. and ended up up at the Champaign Co, Nursing Home. We'd tour the rooms of folks who were bedfast, (nurses would guide us) and then do a finale in the Day room/cafeteria. We were a walking troop of a guitar, Doghouse bass, Fiddle, and hand percussionist.
A charming little 98 year old lady with a thick German accent, in a wheel chair told us of how she escaped Nazi Germany and made it to America, but lost her family in Germany. She said "Silent Night" always brought back fond memories. We played a short intro, and before we could sing she started it and sang it beginning to end in German... her voice was a bit crackly, but perfectly on key. There wasn't a dry eye in the house.
The band had a team huddle and agreed to donate our day's wages to the home's activity fund in her honor. We left feeling we were the ones who got the real Chistmas present. Sorry to say she didn't see another Christmas, but I'm glad we made that one nicer.
