LITTLE CURRENT—Christmas concerts have long been a staple on the calendars of students and their families as the holiday break draws near, but that rite of passage for parents and grandparents was put on hiatus through the pandemic years. With the continued presence of COVID 19 and the rise of RSV and other respiratory viruses Little Current Public School once again eschewed an indoor event this year—but found a near perfect substitute in the form of an outdoor community singalong.
‘A Not-So-Silent Night’ brought old-fashioned Christmas caroling on the evening of Wednesday, December 14, complete with hot chocolate and goody bags to the Little Current Public School schoolyard. A bustling crowd numbering in the hundreds came out to sing, mix and mingle undaunted by the frigid evening air. The air was filled with the strains of standards such as ‘Christmas Tree,’ ‘Here comes Santa Claus’ and ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ along with the laughter of young and old alike.
Those in attendance were urged to bring their own chairs and battery-operated light, but most chose to stand, or more accurately, shuffle to keep warm.
The NEMI Fire Department was out in force bringing with them several firetrucks for students and their parents to explore. Members of the Northeast Town council were also on hand, including Mayor Al MacNevin.
Musical accompaniment was provided by Ruth McDonald on keyboard and the jolly old elf Santa also took some time out of his busy Christmas schedule to check in with the children.
Special thank yous were expressed for the organizing committee, Coyote Council for making and hanging the many decorations as well as volunteering to host the event and distributing the aforementioned hot chocolate. (Note, members of the parents’ council were also lending a hand to make the event successful.) Barney Deforge provided a generous donation of his popcorn machine, coffee urns and supplies, Aundeck Omni Kaning supplied goody bags and the hot chocolate, as well as individuals such Larry Morrison and Rebekkah and Brian who supplied the Christmas tree.
