Deck the Hall, 'tis the season to be jolly
Exactly when ‘Carol Bombing’ started in Orange, Megan Hodsdon, is not entirely sure, but for the last decade she has been carrying on the tradition and bringing a little surprise holiday cheer to people’s doorsteps.
“It started out as a Salvation Army thing many, many years ago,” said Megan, a music teacher who runs the City of Orange Brass Band's training band.
“We have a lot of people in the Salvation Army Corp that can't get to town to hear Carols by Candlelight, so one night close to Christmas we'll take the Corp bus with all our instruments and go around to people's houses, stand on their front lawn and play a couple of carols for them.”
The surprise performances would often be met with tears and were always well received. Enjoying her own ‘Carol Bombing’ experiences so much, Megan decided to get her students involved.
“It was such a beautiful eventing, people would get really emotional at us coming out and we just had a ball, travelling around on a bus with all your mates and playing music,” she said.
“I thought if the adults love doing this, the kids are going to absolutely love doing it! So, we borrow the Salvation Army bus, put ten kids in the back, we dress up our driver as Santa and we just drive around to people’s houses, give them a present and we play some Christmas carols!”
The people they visit are usually chosen for their community work, as Megan sees it as a way to say thank you to people who do so much for others.
“I email a lot of community leaders that I know and ask who has worked really hard and hasn't been noticed. I'm really big on people who haven't been noticed for what they've done,” said Megan.
“Last year we went to the police station, which was the highlight, they let us into their offices and the kids went around to all the officers to say thank you for the job you do and then played jingle bells for them.
“And because we are musicians, I like to get around to the Eisteddfod committee because they've given us so much with the Eisteddfod that it is nice to say thank you.”
This year, Megan has organised three separate Carol Bombing nights and she never has trouble filling spaces on the bus.
“The kids love and they all want to go to all of them but I had to put the message out that a brass ensemble playing carols on your lawn says thank you, but 100 piece brass band says something entirely different!”