Courtesy of NPR, A Musical Lament For Those Who Don’t Feel The Magic Of Christmas, with Bradley Campbell writing about Kirby Brown’s song “Shepherd’s Lament”:

When he performed “Shepherd’s Lament” publicly for the first time in Brooklyn, N.Y., last October, he had no idea how the drunken crowd would react. At first they thought it was a joke, and a couple hecklers did their best to steer him off track. But Brown ignored them. He stepped up to the mic and started strumming the strings of his guitar.

Then, there was complete silence; the audience was totally and completely rapt. His voice sang out through the theater with equal parts melancholy and sweetness.

I know this because I was in the crowd, two beers in and starting to tear up.

As I listened, I found myself imagining what my future held. It wasn’t great. I’d be drinking scotch, alone at a bar on Christmas Eve, hoping and wishing that a friend might pop in unexpectedly. But knowing that just wouldn’t be the case.

And as Brown reached the chorus, I realized I hadn’t felt the holiday spirit in years.