Among Westport’s many holiday traditions, none is more beloved than the Candlelight Concert.
For 85 years — ever since 1941, a few days after Pearl Harbor — the Staples High School music department’s gift to the town has thrilled and inspired audiences.
Musicians — singers, and orchestra and band memories — cherish it as one of the highlights of their school lives. Many return as alumni, to bask in its magic.
Two women — now in their 80s — traveled from Oklahoma for last weekend’s Candlelight. Decades after graduating, in 1961 and ’63, they smiled with joy through the traditional “Sing We Noel” processional, the “Hallelujah Chorus” finale with dozens of alumni joining the stage, and so much in between: the beautiful Jewish tune “Al Shlosha”; the percussive Nigerian song “Ogo ni fun Oluwa”; a haunting rendition of “Stille Nacht”; complex works by Prokofiev, Rutter and Tchaikovsky; creative student ensembles, and more.
It was one of the best Candlelight Concerts ever — a high bar, indeed.
But few members of the appreciative audiences knew what it took to produce this year’s show.
Though they worked since school began, Candlelight preparations never really begin until Staples Players’ fall show ends.
This year’s production — “Les Misérables” — was an especially enormous undertaking. Many of the actors are also singers; all the music teachers played in the pit orchestra.
The final curtain fell just 19 days before the first concert.
Exhilarated but exhausted, they pivoted immediately to Candlelight.
And — because of the way the calendar fell this year — they had one less week than usual to do it.
Meanwhile, Orphenians — one of the concert’s centerpieces — entered their busiest time of the year. They sing at the Town Hall tree lighting, Holiday Stroll, and for organizations all over Westport.
Every adult and young person involved in Candlelight was pulled a thousand different ways, these past few weeks.
But they — along with others who handled sound and lighting, plus tremendous volunteers from the Staples Music Parents Association — pulled together.
I can’t imagine the effort it took. I do know that for all who were fortunate enough to be there, the results were well worth it.
So to townwide arts coordinator Steve Zimmerman; directors Jeri Brima, Carrie Mascaro, Kevin Mazzarella, Lauren Pine, Caitlin Serpliss and Mary Gardner; every young musician, and everyone else who had a hand in the 2025 Candlelight Concert: Bravo!
You are this week’s Unsung Heroes.
Although this week, “unsung” is definitely not the right world to use!
From left: Carrie Mascaro, Caitlin Serpliss, Kevin Mazzarella, Jeri Brima, Lauren Pine. (Photos/Dan Woog)
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It was indeed one of the best Candlelight Concerts yet (how is that even possible?) Incredibly professional, exciting and moving. Our son brought his girlfriend in from Brooklyn to show off his HS Alma Mater. She was not disappointed!
Has the “Production Number” gone the way of learning the “times tables” by heart and writing in cursive?
It outlived its time. Gone were the days of Joanne de Bergh and Gene Baylis choreographing it. Student ensembles have taken its place. To everything there is a season…