By Emmy Benton, News Editor
You’re standing in line waiting to go into the Elizabethan Gardens for WinterLights. As soon as you enter, beautiful light displays surround you and you make your way over to the tent to hear the chorus perform. As their delightful sound fills the tent, you know you’re officially in the holiday spirit.
The holidays are a busy time of year for everyone, but especially for the FFHS chorus and director John Buford. They have many activities planned to bring holiday cheer to the Outer Banks one song at a time.
The chorus is back to doing more of their normal activities after COVID-19 put a pause on many of their performances last year. Buford is excited for the students to get back on stage and sing throughout the community.
“I think sharing the holidays with everybody is what makes it for me,” Buford said.
First on their busy agenda was caroling at the shops in Duck, which is an event that wasn’t able to happen last year. Buford was excited to be able to participate in this again.
“It’s always the first Saturday in December and we go around to the shops in Duck and we carol to them,” Buford said. “It’s been going on since before I came here, so it’s a really fun tradition.”
Senior Hannah Montgomery is a former chorus student who has enjoyed caroling in Duck for three years. She has loved seeing people’s reactions to their singing.
“My favorite part was getting to see people’s faces when this random group of teenagers and a really tall guy were going around dressed up and singing,” Montgomery said.
More people in the community got to hear the chorus when they performed at WinterLights at the Elizabethan Gardens. The chorus sang in Manteo on Dec. 11 for a night filled with music and light displays.
Junior Rylee Young has participated in this event every year since sixth grade aside from last year. She has fond memories of the performances and getting to see the displays.
“I absolutely adore Christmas, so seeing all of the lights and holiday happiness and joy is amazing,” Young said. “Singing Christmas music in front of all of the people is amazing because you see the joy on their faces and it just makes Christmas better.”
Next up was the annual holiday concert held at FFHS, on Tuesday, Dec. 14. It’s a combination of chorus and strings students from the middle and high school who come together for a night of holiday tunes to get people in the Christmas spirit.
“We do some songs together and some songs separately, but everyone takes their time and gets to play their set, then we join together for some finales,” Buford said.
Junior Charlotte Ernst enjoys the concerts because of the atmosphere it creates.
“I like our concerts at school because we get a good turnout and it’s a fun holiday scene, and Mr. Buford wears his holiday suit,” Ernst said.
Buford likes that the concerts highlight the students and the work they’ve done.
“I just like sharing what we do in class with the community,” Buford said. “I like giving concerts because it’s a chance for the students to shine.”
The students got to shine once again on Dec. 15 in what Buford calls “a new twist on an old tradition.” The chorus will carol its way around to Spring Arbor, an assisted living facility near the high school, as well as the halls of FFMS and FFES.
Ernst has missed being able to carol around the community and see the residents at Spring Arbor and students at FFES.
“We get to go see the little kids and they love us, and so do the nursing home people. It makes their day,” Ernst said. “It’s really fun to do stuff like that.”
The chorus had also planned to sing to the staff in the Kill Devil Hills Town Hall, to round out their caroling adventure.
“If there’s time we’re going to also see if we can’t hop over to the Town Center and sing to them, too,” Buford said. “Basically, we’re doing a huge loop caroling the neighborhood.”
Young enjoyed singing for people throughout the community during the holiday season, and hopes that it brought them joy.
“Singing makes people happy – especially Christmas music,” Young said. “I love seeing all the people’s faces and watching them get in the Christmas spirit.”
Junior Emmy Benton can be reached at 23bentonem58@daretolearn.org.
