Counting your blessings
during this festive season
Sharing all that we have to be thankful for this time of year
By Byron Toben
December 22, 2022
’Tis the season to be jolly, so despite all the trials and tribulations that flesh is heir to, this theatre reviewer’s advice is to remember that given by Irving Berlin in his 1954 film White Christmas, to just Count Your Blessings (instead of sheep) to have a restful sleep. And who better to render that song than Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney? It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Song but lost out to Three Coins in A Fountain.
The Berlin song I’m Dreaming Of a White Christmas had been earlier introduced in Holiday Inn (1942) and Blue Skies (1946), both also by Berlin and starring Crosby.
Another song (actually a hymn) entitled Count Your Blessings is included in the United Methodist Hymn book, and while equally good advice, doesn’t quite swing as in Berlin’s tune.
Anyway, I’m counting my blessings – living in Canada, contributing articles to Westmount Magazine and becoming friends with lots of bright, artistic folk.
Viewer contributions as to their favourite blessings welcome, in English or French.
Feature image: frame from the movie White Christmas, Paramount Pictures
Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.
Thank you for this classic that we watch every Christmas Eve.