“All I want for Christmas is you~” As Mariah Carey “defrosted,” the Christmas season is finally approaching!
Maple Tree Lighting
On December 6, my friends and I went downtown to witness the 50-plus-year-old tradition of lighting a living maple tree in the Town Common. There was a market beside selling cute Christmas souvenirs, delicious snacks, and warm drinks. When we got there, we were actually kind of lost because several trees had not been lit yet. Noticing the direction of a professional cameraman and the crowd’s attention, we located one of the biggest trees in the common. There were many people; some parents even held their children on their shoulders so they could see. It reminds me of how I was used to being held up high by my parents. 😉 As the clock hit five, we began the countdown “10, 9, 8, 7 … 3, 2, 1!” The tree was lit up and the crowd was chanting and celebrating the official arrival of the Christmas season.
UMass Marching Band
Right after the Merry Maple was lit, the Amherst Fire Department’s firetruck entered Main Street. On the truck stood Santa Claus and “Flakey” the Snowman. Behind Santa Claus and Flakey, the UMass Marching Band strode into the Common, performing their music. All of them dressed up in festive colors and some even decorated their instruments with Christmas elements. It gave me a carnival vibe that one would expect in Disneyland. It was my first time seeing a marching band perform, so I was very impressed by how coordinated they were as they moved and how energetic they were despite the cold temperature.
Choir Vespers Concert
As part of the Amherst Choral Society, one of the most important concerts is the Vespers Concert. Since November, we have practiced around ten songs for the concert, including the famous caroling songs like Silent Night, and some lesser-known but beautiful tunes, such as Brightest and Best. Dr. A (our choral conductor) also invited her musician friends to play the piano, violin, cello, bass, and organ accompaniment. Two days before our concert, we decorated Johnson Chapel with Christmas trees, wreaths, bows, and lights. It was a joyful time to listen to some Christmas songs and enjoy some holiday snacks while we made J Chap look festive. 🙂
On the day of the concert, I did not expect to see J Chap filled with people. We even ran out of program booklets to hand out! I was actually kinda afraid that we might not be so prepared since we only practiced some songs once or twice. However, when audiences rose up to sing the first song with us, I was moved by the power. We sounded really good, acing all the dynamics and complicated pitches. And the instrumental accompaniment made our performance even more impressive.
After the concert, many audiences approached us to tell us they enjoyed it a lot. An elderly from somewhere far away told me, “Thank you for doing this! This is the reason we came here.” This is the power of music––to give people comfort and hope.
Merry Christmas~ See you in 2025!