On Nov. 13, hundreds of people gathered at Merrick Park to celebrate the start of the holiday season at the annual Tree Lighting. Families had the opportunity to meet the jolly man Santa Claus, after he and Mrs. Claus made a big entrance on their magical fire truck.

Those who attended were entertained by Santa’s elves and by our very own Cavalier Singers, who sang Christmas carols to set the mood. The magical moment finally arrived when the clock struck 7:45 p.m., and Santa lit up the Holiday Tree, ending the event on a joyous note.

Sophomore Kylie Wang

Q: What is your name and grade level and how long have you been with chorus?

A: My name is Kylie Wang, I am a sophomore and I’ve been in chorus for one year.

Q: How did you prepare for this event?

A: I would take my music home and practice, and I would also practice my section in class every other day.

Q: How did this event raise your holiday spirit?

A: Well the whole event itself was very cheerful; it had a whole lot of other things going on and we got to sing these awesome Christmas carols, which were amazing and all sounded pretty good; so that was nice.

Q: What was your favorite part about this event?

A: Performing, being able to spend time practicing and performing with my friends, and coming together to do something and make beautiful music together.