Walt Mares Photo/Gila Herald: Members of The Potter’s House Church in Clifton spread some Christmas spirit as they sing carols on a sidewalk at Bashas’ grocery store on Dec. 19. It was cold but that did not hinder the quintet from spreading cheer. Carolers, from left, are Diane Orona, Josh Yazzie, Marty Hernandez, Chris Lee, and Stacy Lee.
Singers give impromptu performance from heart
By Walt Mares
MORENCI – It was not the Tabernacle Choir one might hear in Salt Lake. Nor was it a choir that one hears at the Vatican in Rome. But the quintet singing on a sidewalk in Morenci was all heart and that counted for a great deal. Indeed, it was the spirit with which they performed that meant most.
The group was from The Potter’s House Church in Clifton. Their performance was unannounced. There were no posters or flyers telling of a performance to come. The group members just showed up and did their thing and did it well.
They were on a sidewalk in front of the far west corner in front of Bashas’ grocery store on Dec. 19. The group was well away from interfering or disturbing shoppers as they entered or exited the store.
It was cold outside but the carolers were bundled up to deal with the challenges of staying warm.
Comprising The Potter’s House quintet were Diane Orona, Josh Yazzie, Marty Hernandez, Chris Lee, and Stacy Lee. Margie Monjaras was scheduled to be with the group but had a recent death in her family.
The group sang familiar Christmas carols. Some occasional passersby stopped to listen and applauded as the group completed various songs. A shopper was sitting at a nearby outdoor table and quietly joined in the singing. He said part of what he enjoyed the most was that the group “just showed up and started singing.”
“It’s what’s so special about living in a small town,” he said. “You never know when something so positive and special may happen. These folks made my Christmas all the more special.”
He added, “Sure, they don’t have trained voices like in a choir but they all sang from the heart and I think that counts for a lot. God bless ‘em all.”
This article was updated to change the name of the church from The Door to The Potter’s House.
