This past weekend the local organizations had their annual children's Christmas parties. On Saturday afternoon, the local sporting club, the Turnverein Derendingen, filled the gym at Feuerhaegle with jumping, running, and summersaulting kids and proud parents.

My son's group of 3-5 year-olds dressed up as pirates for their show.

On Sunday, the Musikverein Derendingen, the local music association which runs a traveling brass band, a youth band, and offers lessons in various brass and woodwind instruments, had their youth Christmas concert. The photo shows my daughter's recorder team playing one of their Christmas songs for the audience of about 100 parents and siblings. Watch and listen at YouTube!

The performances varied greatly in quality. One feature I found especially intriguing is that students who have been playing for as little as three months get up in front of the crowd and play solos. I played saxophone for over six years before I got a solo.