Crowds flock to Mystic for

annual community event

Mystic - With temperatures hovering close to freezing and rain threatening, hundreds of festively dressed residents nevertheless trouped merrily toward Mystic Seaport Sunday afternoon for the 58th annual Community Carol Sing.

A mom of a young girl commented along the way on a holiday hat worn by one caroler that appeared to have a giant red spring emerging from the top of it.

"We call it the boingy hat," the woman wearing it said.

"It looks very Who-ish," smiled the mom, referring to characters from the Dr. Seuss story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"

Amiable repartee among strangers was only a warm-up for the carol sing that featured the Seaport Carolers and Seaport Brass on the steps of the Mallory Building at the museum's Anchor Circle. The event was free, but the Seaport encouraged donations of food for the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center.

"We cheer after everything," Jamie Spillane, director of the chorus and a key part of the carol sing for more than three decades, instructed the crowd. "Even if we make a mistake or somebody falls - we cheer."

Men and women with antler hats, Santa caps and sleigh bells - some clutching hot drinks and others perching young children on their shoulders - all happily sang together for more than an hour. The parade of carols started with "Deck the Halls" and concluded with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Older children ran through the crowd playing with one another, while dogs - many dressed in holiday finery and at least one howling with the music - were also honored guests, as was Santa Claus.

The songs ranged from such traditional carols as "The First Noel" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" to seasonal favorites including "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Frosty the Snowman."

The crowd dutifully cheered after each of the songs, getting more boisterous as time went on, temperatures fell and -

toward the very end - a chilling drizzle gripped the air.

"There's a little spit in the air, but water's good," Spillane said at one point. "It held off till the end."

Spillane noted that when the carol sing started more than half a century ago, the Seaport gathered only a small crowd. He estimated more recently the event has been attracting up to 2,000 people.

And the tradition keeps adding dimensions. At first, the chorus did most of the singing, but now the crowd joins in on every song.

A tradition added 15-20 years ago, Spillane said, involves adults bringing sleigh bells to accompany the chorus of "White Christmas."

When Spillane asked for a show of hands, many in the crowd indicated they had been attending the carol sings for more than a quarter century.

"It's kind of a big deal that some people have been here 50 years," he said. "And it's a tradition that grows."

Steve White, president of the Seaport, noted that the courtyard where the carol sings are held will have a different look by next year because a new building is being constructed on the site. But he promised that Spillane and the chorus would be back.

The carol sing is a respite from the world's problems, Spillane said.

"We do some things to heal ourselves, and we remind ourselves of all the good in the world," he said.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow