The Westover community received an early holiday gift from the Glee Club on December 9 during the weekly Community Time virtual session for students, faculty, and staff — they presented “A Gleeful Sing,” a sampling of favorite carols that have been performed over the years as part of Candlelight, one of the School’s beloved annual traditions.

Because of the difficulties presented by COVID-19, the annual Candlelight services, which have taken place in Chapel each December since the early 1970s, could not be held this year. The tradition is based on the Service of Lessons and Carols held every Christmas Eve in King’s College at Cambridge University in England.

But if Candlelight services could not fill the Chapel this year, in its place “A Gleeful Sing” filled the virtual all-school gathering, hosted by this year’s senior Glee Heads Maddie Abate, McKenna Rook, and Monica Lau, along with Lauren Tian, Arts Department Chair and Music Director.

The virtual group performance — assembled by Lauren from individual audio recordings she received from members of the Glee Club from around the world — featured four carols that had been selected by the Glee Heads — “Hodie,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful, “O Holy Night,” and “In the Bleak Midwinter” — followed by a community sing-a-long of “Silent Night.”

For the Glee Heads, the performance was an opportunity to honor and celebrate one of the School’s most treasured traditions.

Maddie said she and the other Glee Heads approached Lauren earlier in the semester about the possibility of performing excerpts from Candlelight for the community. It was especially important for the seniors, Maddie explained, “for us to come together as a School and to hear them one last time before we graduate.”

“During this year and the end of last,” McKenna explained, “we as a community lost a lot of the traditions that are really important to us, both school traditions and Glee traditions. Because of that, we wanted a chance to just have a little bit of Candlelight, because it’s so important to Glee and such a loved tradition, even if it can’t be the same as it normally is.”

“We tried to pick songs that are very much the embodiment of Candlelight,” Maddie said.

Lauren, who is in her first year at Westover, was struck by how beloved Candlelight is within the community. 

“In my first weeks,” she recalled, “what became immediately evident to me was how rich the traditions and history of Westover are, in particular the Candlelight celebration. The students and faculty relayed their stories of past performances with such tenderness, nostalgia, and excitement. What captured my own heart the most was the way that their stories of their friendships within the Westover community were intrinsically connected to events that occurred in Candlelight.”

Throughout the performance, members of the School community posted appreciative notes in the virtual group chat. As Corky Beaulieu, Director of College Counseling, wrote, “Thank you for this special gift. It has brought joy to a challenging time and kept us grounded by a special tradition. What amazing music!”

A Different Musical Experience

“A Gleeful Sing” reflected the hard work, commitment, and talent that the returning members of the Glee Club have put in throughout the fall semester.

“While this has been my first year at Westover,” Lauren acknowledged, “it has been an exceedingly unique, trying, and simultaneously rewarding time to be teaching music. The Glee Club has been so flexible in adapting to several new mediums for rehearsal, extending patience as we learn new methods of making music together.”

“It’s certainly been difficult at times,” Maddie said, adding, “I felt bad for Lauren, coming in during a period of transition.” Maddie praised Lauren for all that she has been able to accomplish in her role as the new Music Director. “She has been so genuinely lovely and has tried as much as she can to make the situation feel normal. Without her, it wouldn’t have pulled together.”

McKenna agreed.

“Getting used to the new schedule and way of rehearsing took some time,” she explained, “and it was especially difficult, because not everyone was here in person and not everyone could rehearse at the same time. But once we were able to start singing again, it brought back the joy that comes with singing in a group. I’m definitely very proud of what we’ve managed to accomplish so far, that we’ve still been able to learn songs together and put recordings together, even with all the challenges we’ve faced.”

Maddie recalled, “The first time everyone came together as a choir and we started singing, I thought, ‘This is what I’ve wanted!’ We were serious about singing, but also having fun. This is exactly what Glee is supposed to be.”

“Lauren has been very helpful and receptive to any feedback we had,” McKenna added, “and I know that I and the other Glee Heads really appreciate it and enjoy working with her.”

Maddie thanked Lauren, the other Glee Heads, and all the members of Glee Club for all the time and effort they put in to make “A Gleeful Sing” happen.

McKenna added, “I know everyone, but the seniors especially, have felt like we were missing so much this year, and I think it’s important to give everyone what little we can of a normal year, even if it’s only a few carols.”

For Lauren, “A Gleeful Song” is a promise of future accomplishment as the school year continues to unfold.

“With a year full of fluctuation and change, it was important to the Glee Heads that they express at least a portion of their senior rites through song. Their persistence in organizing their voices, the essence of the celebration, their sentiments and memories have been a light to me all semester, and one that I know will continue to shine for all to see.”