“Sing We Noel”: Tiny Tweaks To A Beloved Tradition

Generations of Candlelight Concert-goers have thrilled to the Staples High School Music Department’s annual gift to the town.

Hundreds of choral, orchestra and band musicians create magic. Beautiful works, world pieces, the rousing “Hallelujah Chorus” with dozens of alumni joining on stage — and of course, the traditional “Sing We Noel” processional that begins it all.

That welcoming number is a Staples special. The orchestra begins, slowly and hauntingly. Blue-robed choir members, holding (electric) candles, walk in step down the aisles.

The “Sing We Noel” processional, 2022. (Photo/Lynn Untermeyer Miller)

There is a big downbeat. The singers pivot, facing the audience. Together, they begin: “Dost thou remember the Prophet of old/Who that most wond’rous story told…”

It’s a stirring moment no one who has ever sung, played or heard it will ever forget.

“Sing We Noel” seems stuck in time. The Staples auditorium is one of the few places in the world where it is still performed. The hymn is almost impossible to find on YouTube (a different, jaunty song by the same name pops up a bit more often).

The sheet music went out of print decades ago.

Copies have been Xeroxed many times. (Photo/Dan Woog)

The processional seems — to me, and probably most audience members — a timeless way to begin the Candlelight Concert

But the Staples music instructors have been dissatisfied with their time-honored version. They thought the near-perfect selection could be made even better.

The music they’ve used for years was difficult to conduct. Trumpets and violins jumped octaves. There are many more winds on stage now than before. The band is bigger. There was no direction for saxophones. Vocal parts were in a different meter.

It was time to tweak the arrangement.

The music department partnered with Mark Ceppetelli, a colleague of band director Kevin Mazzarella. He’s an accomplished engraver (someone who prepares sheet music, meticulously formatting it for clarity and readability).

“We wanted to reimagine the piece for winds, and incorporate the singers in a ‘bettter’ way,” says townwide music coordinator Steve Zimmerman. The goal was to “embellish something that’s already excellent.”

This year’s “Sing We Noel” will scarcely sound different to most of the audience. They might not even realize there is an oboe solo, that new percussion parts have been added, or that the brass is brassier.

This year’s brass will be brassier. (Photo/Kerry Long)

“We believe in tradition. And Westport does too. This is a way to make a little more sense musically,” orchestra director Jeri Brima says.

“This maintains the spirit of ‘Sing We Noel’ — in a more inclusive way. The melody is the same. But the sound is fuller.”

Discerning ears will notice the difference. I probably won’t.

Every year, much of Candlelight remains the same.

And every year it evolves.

Now let hosannas ring …!

(For the fascinating back story of how legendary music director John Ohanian brought “Sing We Noel” to Westport, click here. In 2019, Staples graduate Catherine Webster recalled the impact of “Sing We Noel.” Click here to read her words.)

(The 85th annual Candlelight Concert takes place Friday, December 12 at 8 p.m., and Saturday, December 13 at 3 and 8 p.m. Tickets are available to the public starting at 9 a.m. today — Tuesday — at www.StaplesMusic.org. They’re free, but donations to the Staples music program are greatly appreciated.)

(Concert-goers can support the Staples music program by purchasing poinsettias that decorate the stage. They can be picked up at the conclusion of the December 13 8 p.m. show. Click here for details.)

(Also available, at all shows: Candlelight Cookies from Alina’s. They’re just $6, and each includes a coupon for a free cupcake. Click here to order. )