"Unto Us a Boy is Born" and Holiday Springs and Sprockets

I really thought I was done with Christmas posts yesterday, then two more things came to mind today.

Yesterday's service is one of my favorites of the whole year.  Rather than a sermon, we have readings from the tradition, which is always interesting, and Christmas hymns after each reading (which makes three more hymns than usual!).  One of the Communion hymns was "Unto Us a Boy is Born."  I know an instrumental version of it, but I've never sung it before so that was lots of fun.  Unfortunately, I can't find a good choral version online.  Here's an organ version, and here's a brief choral version.

I also realized that I never mentioned the holiday exhibit at the N.C. Museum of Life and Science in Durham.  They've had Holiday Springs and Sprockets before, and we always enjoy it.  The mechanical sculptor, Steve Gerberich, collects all sorts of things and puts them together in interesting, moving sculptures.  If you live in the area and haven't seen the exhibit, it's fun.

Here's a video about him:

 

More:  Steve Gerberich's website, a video at his website (the dancing cats are one of my favorites), and some pictures from the science museum:

A still photo can only give you some of the feel.
 

The plane goes around, the musical instruments move back and forth, and there was a car (I think; we went in November) going around the track.
 

Only part of the Santa sculpture.  They move too.