Date: 12/3/2019
WEST SPRINGFIELD – For the 32nd year, the town of West Springfield will gather to kick off the holiday season with a lighting ceremony and holiday songs.
While Victoria Connor, director of the West Springfield Parks and Recreation Department, doesn’t know how the annual event first began 32 years ago, she said it’s become a tradition the whole town looks forward to.
“Going to elementary [and] high school plays, school holiday functions are the start of the holiday season,” she told Reminder Publishing. “The holiday season begins when we come together as a community.”
This year, for the fifth year in a row, students from the Tatham Elementary School will be singing holiday songs on the annual Caroling on the Green event, which will take place on Dec. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Elm Street Gazebo.
Simone Tucker, who is the music teacher at Tathum, told Reminder Publishing students spent time in November preparing for caroling event. Tatham Principal, Kathleen Morneau, said they had so many students volunteer to participate in the chorus they had to stop accepting volunteers.
“It’s not really a school sponsored event, it’s more of an option community service event. We have 75 students that have responded they want to do this on their own time,” Morneau said. “We had to cut it off, the music program is alive and well in West Springfield.”
Tucker said for the students the night consists of vocal warmups, costumes and holiday jingles.
“They wear Santa hants, they dress up, they wear reindeer hats, they’re super excited,” Tucker said. She said some of the carols the students are singing this year are “Jingle Bells,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” “One Small Voice” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
Tucker said the caroling event also provides students with another opportunity to practice the techniques they learn throughout the year. Given that the students only perform two times a year during the holiday and spring events, Tucker said the performance also helps them understand what it is like to sing in front of a live audience.
Moreau said she is always impressed with the collaboration between the town’s departments for events such as Caroling on the Green.
“Just being in the district I’ve been so impressed with the collaboration between the departments and the town,” she said. “We do our best to be community based as often as possible. A goal [we have] is to give students an opportunity to be involved in the community.”
Connor echoed this sentiment and said the Parks Department enjoys having the students participate in the event each year.
“We love having the students participate in this event just so we can get the parents and the community together for the evening,” she said. Connor also said she was thankful for the school’s willingness to participate in the event each year and the hard work they put into preparing for Caroling on the Green.
“They’re the ones that are doing the real heavy lifting to get together a nice programs together for us. I’m excited for them and very thankful they choose to participate each year,” she said.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. and go until 7:30 p.m. Connor said Caroling on the Green is also when the town officially turns on all their holiday lights.