What heralds the Christmas Season in Yass Valley quite like the Yass Community Carols? The combined churches of Yass are putting their talents together to bring yet another wonderfully festive evening to the community. For the churches of Yass, the Carols are a cherished way to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and His love with the whole town.
This year, the Community Carols’ creative directors are bringing a new angle by structuring the carols to tell a story. Carols will be woven into a narrative and performed in a certain order to tell the Christmas Jesus story.
“I think it’s really special that it’s an amazing opportunity for the Church of Yass to come together and to do something for the community. It’s really the heart of Christmas in that we get to share the things that make us really excited and passionate, and we can share that with everybody,” said Toni Neuhaus, one of the Carols organisers and a member of Yass Valley Baptist Church.
“We can take the Church out to the community rather than the other way around. That’s always something that I find really special. It’s a highlight for me and a privilege to be a part of that.”
Toni explained that the ultimate goal is for people to know why we celebrate Christmas, and that the Community Carols are a fun and tangible way to come together, share, and be a part of the community. She added that the Carols are accessible, not threatening, and something that the churches are always excited to do together.
The Yass Community Carols will be held at Victoria Park on the 11th of December. Activities, including markets, food, and children’s activities, will start from 4:30pm and create a great festival vibe. Later at 6pm the carols will begin and the community will enjoy singing, dancing, and listening to the talented music group until the 7:30pm wrap-up.
The Community Carols organisers want to support small businesses and invite those with market stalls to get involved. Stalls are encouraged to bring a Christmas theme to the markets, whether selling consumable things during the event or Christmas gifts.
“Cookies, handmade things, presents, succulents, candles, those kind of things that are tangible for people to give as gifts so that it really has that Christmas market feel,” suggested Toni.
Victoria park has powered sites, but as most of them have been taken, it’s best if stalls are self-sustainable or don’t require power.
“We also want to invite community groups to come and join in. Valmar and the retirement villages will have a sitting area set up. The rest of the area will be open space for picnic rugs and chairs for family groups to hang out on the grass,” said Toni.
Yass Community Carols have plenty of excitement in store for children, too, with activities including dress-ups and nativity sets, singing and dancing, colouring in, face painting, glow sticks, and getting to celebrate Christmas with their friends.
“It really signals the beginning of the Christmas season for them. All the things— that school is starting to wrap up, the weathers getting warmer, and when they start to hear carols it really kicks off the Christmas season and that wind down to the end of the year,” said Toni.
For Toni and many others, the highlight of the Carols is the family atmosphere and picnic vibe.
“The festival stuff that goes on where we can just hang out and be a family and be surrounded by all that kind of fun.”
To achieve that perfect Christmas atmosphere Yass Community Carols delivers so well, a great effort is given by Yass Valley’s churches, including Yass Valley Baptist Church, Yass Valley Anglican Parish, Yass Vine Church, Encount3r Church, St Andrews Uniting Church, and the Catholic Parish of St Augustine.
“We have a committee that is made up from a representative from most of the churches in town and we meet monthly and just dream and plan and organise. We’ve all got our little area that we are passionate about and we focus on,” said Toni.
“For me, it’s marketing and community engagement beforehand, getting it out there into the schools, letterboxes, and social media.
Then there’s our creative, musical people, our choir and our band and that side of stuff. Then there’s the logistical organising of the stalls. Everyone has their different gifts and talents and we come together as a team to come and do that.”
Those from the community are welcome to join the churches in organisational efforts, band, and choir.
Larger businesses, or businesses that may not be relevant to come to the Carols, have the opportunity to support the community event, whether through a cash donation or funding something specific such as sound and lighting or grounds. Yass Community Carols can advertise the business logo in response, as well as thank sponsors through social media and during the Carols.
“There are opportunities if you would like to bless the event, there’s things that your money can be used for,” said Toni.
Yass Community Carols will be taking up an offering towards the end of the event which will go to SPIN Foundation and Can Assist.
“That’s encouraging the people who are participating to give to other people in the community, especially around this time of year for people in need,” said Toni.
Yass Community Carols are particularly excited to bring the community together without restriction after two years of no singing allowed or no gatherings at all.
“We’re really excited that all the restrictions have been lifted. There’s no capacity limits, there’s no sign in, you’re allowed to sing. We’re excited about it being a really big and fun start to the Christmas season,” said Toni.
Southerly Jones
