A Pew Research Center poll finds nearly 80% of Americans put up Christmas trees, yet only 16% go Christmas caroling as adults. In a Weekend Journal piece, reporter Jericka Duncan profiles the Yuletide Carolers, a troupe determined to keep the caroling tradition alive.
On a cold December evening in New York City, the Yuletide Carolers stage a Victorian-era holiday: crisp harmonies, period costumes and a sense of pageantry. The group was founded 30 years ago by husband-and-wife Greg Martz and Susan Santoro, who started with a handful of singers as a hobby. It has since expanded into 17 ensembles with more than 100 singers across five states.
Singers audition in the summer, rehearse in the fall and are fitted with handcrafted costumes modeled on 1860s Victorian styles. Members say the clothing changes their posture and energy, helping them slip into character and intensify the audience experience.
The Carolers give dozens of public performances and accept private bookings. This year the organization scheduled roughly 250 shows nationwide, from hotel lobbies and public plazas to free visits at hospitals and nursing homes. The troupe often sings for patients and elderly residents without charge; those appearances are among the most meaningful to performers. One man in Colorado reportedly hired a quartet to follow his mother around for an entire day so she could hear them wherever she went.
Members say the music connects listeners to memories and emotions, briefly transporting people 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 aim is to help everyone feel like they’re home for the holidays and to leave audiences emotionally moved, if only for a moment.
Audiences respond with nostalgia: families return year after year, bringing children who grow up to bring their own kids. At a recent performance at the Langham Hotel, Jennifer Firestein brought her son Evan for the second consecutive year. “It’s so wonderful that they put this on,” she said, a sentiment echoed by many who appreciate the Carolers’ mix of musical tradition, period pageantry and community service.