A Pew Research Center poll finds nearly 80% of Americans put up Christmas trees, yet only 16% go Christmas caroling as adults. In this “Weekend Journal” piece, Jericka Duncan meets the Yuletide Carolers, a troupe dedicated to keeping that tradition alive.
On a cold December night in New York City, the Yuletide Carolers bring a Victorian-era holiday to life. Founded 30 years ago by husband-and-wife Greg Martz and Susan Santoro, the group began with a few singers as a hobby. It has since grown to 17 ensembles with more than 100 singers across five states. Performers audition in the summer, rehearse in the fall, and are fitted with handcrafted costumes inspired by 1860s Victorian styles. According to singers and staff, the moment they don the costume their posture and energy change — part of the magic that helps transport audiences.
The Carolers perform dozens of public shows and also accept private bookings. This year the organization schedules roughly 250 performances nationwide. Their work includes visits to hotels and public spaces, and they regularly sing free for patients in hospitals and residents of nursing homes. One anecdote highlights the personal impact of their performances: a man hired a quartet to follow his mother for an entire day in Colorado so she could hear them wherever she went.
Members describe the most meaningful gigs as those in hospitals and care facilities. They say music connects listeners to memories and emotions, helping people briefly return to times when they felt safe and loved. “Those actually can be some of the most fulfilling, rewarding, heartfelt jobs that we’ve done,” one singer says. The group’s stated goal is to help everyone feel like they’re home for the holidays, and for audience members to walk away emotionally transported, even if just for a moment.
Audiences respond with nostalgia: families bring children back year after year, and attendees often talk about the memories the songs evoke. At a recent Langham Hotel performance, Jennifer Firestein brought her son Evan for the second year in a row. “It’s so wonderful that they put this on,” she said, reflecting the sentiment of many who value the Carolers’ blend of musical tradition, period pageantry, and community service.