Call This Number And A Live Person Will Sing You A Christmas Carol
Video Source: UofIHousing
CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — For one week in December, between finals and end-of-semester goodbyes, students in one college dorm take turns singing holiday tunes to strangers.
Around-the-clock, they man the phones, taking requests for songs from people all over the world seeking a little bit of holiday cheer.
So, if in the middle of the night, you have a hankering for a live, likely out-of-tune, rendition of Jingle Bells, someone is out there ready to sing it for you.
And, as one would expect, it’s absolutely infectious. Calling midday Friday, after a short wait time, this reporter requested “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” from the friendly guy who answered. He pulled up the lyrics and sang, completely off-key, but with so much heart, the Brenda Lee hit.
This singer happened to be Dan Quock, the resident director of the Snyder Hall, the University of Illinois residence that has hosted the Dial-a-Carol program for more than 55 years.
“We’re very amateur, I think that’s one of the better parts of it,” he said.
The program started in 1960 when Snyder’s office secretary, a woman named Betty Gordon, convinced the residents in the then-all-male dorm to sing and play carols for random callers around the holidays.
Initially, they’d sing to only every few callers, playing vinyl records for the others. But over the years, the students decided it was more fun and festive to sing them all, said Kirsten Ruby, the university’s associate director of housing for communications.
“Most students of the building participate, regardless of musical ability, religion, or the fact that it’s finals week,” she said.
Their favorite callers are teachers from elementary or middle school classrooms. They feel fairly confident they have most every holiday song in their repertoire, but last year a radio station in Ireland called and stumped them when it asked for an Irish Christmas favorite, “Fairytale of New York.” They’ve since added the folksy ballad to their songbook.
The students will be singing until 11:59 p.m., Dec. 16. So pick out your favorite holiday song, give them a call at (217) 332-1882, and prepare to be serenaded.
And to smile.
Source: Washington Post