With a cold sharp wind whipping her along her way and the snow crunching beneath her boots, Eliza Ford ’08 remembers how much she loves to sing. While there are many opportunities to sing at Wesleyan, from the Ebony Singers to our seven a capella groups, Ford wanted the thrill of the Christmas carol. Realizing that one can’t and shouldn’t carol alone, Ford formed the WesCarolers, an unofficial caroling group she hopes to expand as the holiday season progresses.
Genevieve Angelson ’08 and Kieran Kredell ’08 are co-founders of WesCarolers and say that their lack of vocal talent is no deterrent.
“Don’t let Ford tell you she started it,” Angelson said. “It was late one night walking back from Olin, the first cold night in September, that I sang a hushed verse of Silent Night under my breath and let the year-round Christmas spirit warm my chilled bones.”
Kredell has an imaginative sense of the group and its mission.
“I think it is important that the Wesleyan community recognizes the WesCarolers not as three students with a fervent holiday spirit and some free time,” Kredell said. “No, that isn’t us at all. The WesCarolers are simply three frost-bitten, desperately hungry British street urchins singing outside your window, fogging up the glass, for a measly crumb of bread.”
Caroling is usually done on a bleak winter night, with only candles to light the faces of the carolers. The WesCarolers will first carol around the Foss Hill dorm area, their own neighborhood, where they feel they are sure to be fed in return for their revelry. As the night proceeds, they expect to grow in numbers as students who enjoy the caroling decide to join in.
To prepare for caroling, the WesCarolers are finding their warmest clothing and practicing their favorite carols.
“I saw them in their rehearsal and I think they’ve got a lot of potential,” said Shaine Truscott ’06. “Emphasis on potential.”
“We try to keep our repertoire – which is constantly expanding – pretty diverse,” Kredell said. “Our foundation, however, is in classic Christmas tunes. Probably our most popular would be Silent Night. But we also have a certain affinity for our more contemporary pieces, like All I Want For Christmas Is You, originally performed by Mariah Carey.”
Ford is an atheist, but said that doesn’t stop her.
“We can divorce Christmas carols from their religious content,” Ford said. “They can become entertainment and an expression of good will which has nothing to do with religion.”
Not everyone on campus feels like the WesCarolers about caroling, however.
“Frankly, I find it pretty amazing that, with our society’s heightened fears of religious zealotry, it is still acceptable for troupes of these Christ-loving maniacs to go door to door in suburban neighborhoods and yell loudly in people’s faces,” said Nicholas Gerry-Bullard ’06.
Thomas McAteer ’06 said he felt upset about the content of the carols.
“They should sing non-gendered Christmas carols,” McAteer said.
The WesCarolers would like everyone to know that if a Wesleyan community member does not appreciate the caroling, they can simply keep their door closed, or if necessary, file a noise complaint with Public Safety.
If you would like to make a suggestion to the WesCarolers repertoire, join rehearsals or find out about upcoming caroling dates, contact Kieran Kredell at kkredell@wesleyan.edu.
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