'Old-Fashioned Christmas' enjoyed in Quincy

QUINCY - At Pioneer Church in Quincy on Saturday attendees at the "Old Fashioned Christmas" took a step back and celebrated the holidays in the ways of old.

At Pioneer Church there were no electric guitars, no microphones, no drum solos. In their place were the simple sounds of an organ, acoustic guitar and mandolin, bringing those in attendance back to the traditions of the past.

2014 marks the ninth year Pioneer Church held the "Old Fashioned Christmas" service in Quincy, a tradition designed to be an experience celebrating traditions that were once a staple in Quincy.

"The spirit of the service is what makes it so special," said Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum curator Gar Pilliar. "Just knowing that we are repeating history and making history live on, is special."

Pioneer Church is one of the oldest buildings in Quincy, and is Quincy's first church. The building itself has seen many tenants and guests since it was originally established in 1904. With many contributions and a grant from the state, the church was remodeled in 2007 into the historical commodity it is today.

Saturday's service took the form of a Christmas service that a person might have experienced in the earlier part of the 1900s.

"No matter your religion this is a place you can come and celebrate. You can come here and just take pause," said Quincy Valley Historical Society and Museum volunteer Harriet Weber.

The service featured the singing of classic Christmas songs accompanied by the musical stylings of All Strings Considered, a three-person musical group who played the music for the night using only acoustic instruments.

Interjected throughout the service were tidbits of historical information about the church, how it came to be and its history over the years.

Midway through the service the children in attendance gathered at the front of the modest little church that seats about 100 people, for a reading of Clement Clarke Moore's classic poem "The Night Before Christmas."

"It just really simple. It is a service to take a step back and pause from our hectic everyday lives," said Weber.

What made the service unique was the singing of a couple of songs, like "O' Tannenbaum," in English and the language it was written in, German.

The culmination of the evening was the lighting of the Christmas tree, all the lights in the chapel were lowered as the candles on the tree were lit. After the tree was lit, the sole source of light were the candles on the tree.

About 80 people were able to experience the service, a number which Weber hopes will continue to stay steady in the future.

"Last year we actually had to turn people away because we did not have enough seats. So this year we expanded to two services and make the tickets free, so as many people as possible could come out and enjoy it," Weber said.