All of them heavy cloth meant to last through years of people.  Drapery material almost, thick, solid, unbending, the smells of hundreds of bodies barely clinging to them no matter how many times they had been dry cleaned.   

A room full of racks and wire hangers, a mess of bodies as we sorted through them.   

"Hey John, this one will work for you." 

"Umm, I'm 5 foot tall, this robe is 6 foot long, not working." 

"I can't find my collar, who took it?" 

"Why can't we wear dresses like other high school choirs?  I hate these robes." 

Year after year, the same things said, robes pulled off hangers, dry cleaning bags strewn across a cold tile floor, a pile of wire hangers so twisted that they would never become multiple items again.   

A plink of a key, voice exercises, and then, marching in line towards either the chapel, gymnasium or cafeterioum.  Nerves starting to rise, cases of stage fright erupting all over the room. 

Then, the director standing raising his hand and the first notes rise up from the group.  Familiar songs in most cases.  Oh, there might be an arrangement or two that were different, maybe one new song that would only have this chance to make it as a regular selection.   

The groups voice growing stonger and stronger as they settle into their groove, lining up with the music, and forgetting the butterflies of just a few minutes ago.  Then, it's over.  It seems like you just began rehearsing moments ago, instead of months, as if you've been singing for seconds. 

The last note fades away, you walk out again, in single file, back to the small hangar strewn room, off come the robes, the collars, the dress shoes.  Only to be replaced by blue jeans, tshirts, and sneakers, the uniform of the teenager. 

And you smile, the songs floating through your head.  The words of one acapella song in particular: 

Carol of the Bells version by Peter J. Wilhousky (this is now public domain, which is why I included the lyrics here) 
Hark! how the bells  
Sweet silver bells  
All seem to say,  
"Throw cares away."  
Christmas is here  
Bringing good cheer  
To young and old  
Meek and the bold  

Ding, dong, ding, dong  
That is their song  
With joyful ring  
All caroling  
One seems to hear  
Words of good cheer  
From ev'rywhere  
Filling the air  

Oh how they pound,  
Raising the sound,  
O'er hill and dale,  
Telling their tale,  
Gaily they ring  
While people sing  
Songs of good cheer  
Christmas is here  
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas  
Merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas  

On, on they send  
On without end  
Their joyful tone  
To ev'ry home  

(repeat from the beginning)  

Ding, dong, ding, dong.  
 
  

Simple words that make the most beautiful of songs, no instruments to distract from the interwined voices.  My favorite Christmas song, one I had sang every year for years, in a multitude of choirs, one that means Christmas to me. 

You can hear it, here. 
 Suzy Smith 
all lyrics are copyright their respected owner and are for educational and personal use only (except, well, this is public domain now, but you know, lawyers can be evil.)

What's your favorite holiday song?