Remember 2019? That blissful year before the world turned upside down? If COVID is still fogging your memory, you may remember 2019 (when?) as the year the Evergreenpoint Carolers were born (oh!). Mashing up an insufferably insatiable desire to spread holiday cheer and relive college a capella glory days, the Evergreenpoint Carolers started as a titanic brigade.
Years followed. In-fighting for solos ensued. Friendships, and numbers, dwindled. But this year, on Sunday, December 10, the group will celebrate its five-year anniversary and aims to climb back to its original robust force while singing around the neighborhood.
“We could blame COVID as the reason we had to shrink,” Music Director Nick Auer said. “The truth is, we try to celebrate the essence of the season. That means we only need essential voices.”
The real reason for the shifting number of carolers remains disputed, but the danger following the group has seemingly detracted newcomers. 2020 saw an alto catch frostbite. In 2021, a bass get scammed. (“I thought I was donating to some Toys for Tots,” the group’s human tuba, Cam Cronin, said. “I didn’t know tots liked faux fur and Le Creuset cookware.”)
Last year seemed promising, but as the troupe learned, there’s such a thing as too much cheer.
“The event we sang at was so bustling it neared a fire hazard,” recalled Sleigh Bellboy Sam Myers. “It was actually quite thrilling: festive energy in the air, mesmerized audiences by the dozen. In that moment, I was Beyoncé, and everyone should know that feeling once in their life. I just wanted the extra insurance to know that the sprinkler system was working, which, like Santa’s list, I’d be checking twice.”
This year, Mother Nature may provide her own waterworks: Sunday’s forecast calls for rain. It will also near 60 degrees, but, as global warming makes our Decembers warmer and warmer, not everyone is pining for the days in which a thin-socked alto could get a black foot.
“We tend to sing outdoors, and the humidity could actually be nice,” Senior Soprano Sharona Goldstone said. “Good for the vocal cords.”
The Evergreenpoint Carolers will begin parading around Kent Street and along Franklin in the early afternoon, making their way to the Greenpointers Holiday Market for a set at 2 p.m.
“Spend money to support local artists, but don’t forget to toss some coin into the donation box,” Wrapping Consultant Max Pendergast said. Each year, 100% of donations go to a local cause; this year, the carolers will be sending money overseas to the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. Cash donations are accepted, as are ones via Venmo @EvergreenpointCarolers.
Following the popular market, the singers will head over to The Springs (224 Franklin Street) for a cuppa cheer and, possibly, an encore set.
“We may just want to kick up our heels by the roaring fire and enjoy a job well done,” said Myers. But if nearby patrons happy to recognize the esteemed singers and demand a number or two?
“Who are we to resist!” Auer said. “We want those bells, and the donation box, to jingle jangle.”