We love when we come across a holiday-time event that’s not commercial, not cheesy, not something you’ve seen a million times. And boy, have we found one — one that’s perfectly in line with the values, interests and spirit of life in the RI region. It embraces music, history, architecture and farming, not to mention hot chocolate at the end.

And cows.

On Sunday, Dec. 1, Crescendo Concerts will celebrate its 15th anniversary by leading the annual caroling-to-the-cows singalong at Churchtown Dairy in Hudson, New York, and we’re all invited to join in. (Editor's Note: Because of weather, the event has been postponed to Sunday, Dec. 8 at 5 p.m.)

Although the biodynamic dairy has invited the community to sing to the herd on December weekends for several years, they are bringing in Crescendo to add a professional twist to the tune making. The group will come to the barn with a period brass quartet in tow.

When Christine Gevert, Crescendo’s founding artistic director, first visited Churchtown Dairy last summer, she immediately thought of music of the Baroque period, which is Crescendo’s specialty.

“It looked like a small cathedral space,” she says of the barn. “I felt incredibly inspired by it and the animals and the mission of the farm. I thought, this is something Crescendo should do for the community.” She was also impressed that Churchtown Dairy had purchased out-of-print copies of The Oxford Book of Carols, a classic collection of traditional carols for community singers, to use in the barn. No cow will be subjected to "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer."

The Crescendo singers will start downstairs around the cows, with the brass players performing from the loft. Then they will join the rest of the community upstairs.

You shouldn't be concerned about your singing skills, says Kam Bellamy, director of Churchtown Dairy. The cows don’t care; what’s important is keeping a mood of reverence and joy. She also recommends people dress warmly, since the barn isn't heated.

“We do this every Sunday in December, and in the past we’ve had more than 100 people come. It seems to capture the imagination of a lot of people, and it’s a good opportunity for people to come together. It doesn’t matter how you sing.” Still, she adds, “We’re happy to have Crescendo singers to add some beauty to our singing.”

Churchtown Dairy has a herd of 28 cows and, since the dairy keeps the young cows with their mothers until they’re about five months old, there will be a half dozen calves in the barn. Do they like the Christmas carols? You’d have to ask them, but Bellamy reports that once, all the cows walked out during a particular song (she can’t remember which).

“We threw some fresh hay in the barn and they all came back,” she says.

Caroling to the Cows with Crescendo Singers (and an ensemble of period brass players)
New Date: Sunday, Dec. 8, 5-6 p.m.
Churchtown Dairy
357 County Rt. 12, Hudson, NY
Free

Share this post

Written by
Lisa Green