Holiday season kicks off with local concerts, parades and
tree-lighting ceremonies
O come all ye faithful, and get your fill of the sounds of the season at the many choir events and city Christmas tree-lightings going on during the next few weeks.
The Gilroy High School Chamber Choir is doing its part to make it a holly, jolly Christmas. The choir is taking reservations for its annual Christmas-caroling service, and choir members’ schedules are filling up fast.
“We get together and carol at parties, hospitals, charity events or any other place that calls us,” said Isabelle Szucs, a 17-year-old senior, who sings both soprano and alto. “It’s such a great experience. People get so excited to hear us, and it’s really a privilege to sing with a choir of this caliber.”
Students dress in Santa hats and concert apparel – black tops and long black skirts for girls, tuxedos for boys – and sing from a catalog of holiday favorites, as well as lesser-known carols.
One of the less-famous carols called “Fum, Fum, Fum” is bass singer Andrew Mantilla’s favorite.
“It’s about the nativity scene, and it’s a fun one,” said Mantilla, who will be caroling for his third year.
Though he enjoys both performing in choir concerts and caroling, senior Jimmy Chantler said caroling is more fun because it’s a more personal setting.
“You get to see people’s reactions and watch people get into the songs,” he said. “Some people cry, others just have fun – people love this music.”
The carolers sing at 50 to 60 different events every winter.
To see the dazzle of your city’s Christmas tree lights for the first time this year, check out the following events:
San Benito County
– Oriana Chorale’s annual “Messiah at the Mission”: 7:30pm Dec. 7 and 14 in the Mission San Juan Bautista.
Tickets available at the door: adults $15, teens $10 and children younger than 10 free.
– Candlelight Sing-Along Tour: Meet at 6:30pm Dec. 10 at the Mission San Juan Bautista.
Sing holiday carols while strolling through the downtown area. Refreshments will be served in the State Historic Park. Dress warmly. In case of rain, the event will be canceled.
n Christmas Concert for United Way: 7pm Dec. 3 at SDA Church, 2121 Sunnyslope Road in Hollister.
Concert features Steve Peterson on saxophone, the Beverly Blount String Quartet, and the First Presbyterian Bell Choir. Free admission; donations accepted.
– San Benito High School Choir Concert
The school’s winter choir concert is Dec. 1. Call (831) 637-5831 for time and location.
– Hollister Tree Lighting: 5:30pm Dec. 12 at San Benito Bank, 300 Tres Pinos Road in Hollister.
The Hospice Foundation sponsors the event. Donors pay $20 to have a light on the tree dedicated in honor or remembrance of someone special to them. A commemorative book at the site lists the names.
Gilroy
– Gilroy High School Choir Concert: 7:30pm Dec. 13 and 14 in the theater on campus, 750 W. 10th St.
Tickets go on sale the first week of December and cost $5.
– Gilroy High School Chamber Choir Carolers: By appointment only. The carolers will perform at private and charity events, as well as other holiday parties. The fee ranges from $100 to $300. Call (408) 847-2424.
– Tree-lighting Ceremony: 5pm Dec. 3 on Monterey Street in downtown Gilroy
The parade runs from Fourth to Sixth streets. Afterwards, Santa will light the tree. Children can then visit with Santa and watch marionette shows.
Morgan Hill
– Live Oak High School Winter Program: 7pm Dec. 15 in the Little Theater on campus, 1505 E. Main Ave.
The school choir will perform along with the concert and jazz bands. The event is free.
– Morgan Hill Hometown Holidays Parade and Tree-lighting Ceremony: 7pm to 8pm Dec. 3 at the Morgan Hill Community and Cultural Center, 17000 Monterey Road.
A tree-decorating contest is planned for the center with participation from local schools. Local community groups and downtown businesses team up to present a holiday-themed parade and annual tree-lighting ceremony. Parade participants compete for prizes.
