Vespers Brings Spirit of the Season to NMH, New York

As the holiday season kicks into high gear, NMH’s music department closes out the fall semester with several end-of-year concerts and performances, highlighted by one of NMH’s oldest annual traditions: holiday Vespers.

This year’s Vespers program will feature two shows on the NMH campus on Sunday, Dec. 7, followed by a performance at New York City’s St. George’s Episcopal Church on Thursday, Dec. 18. For those unable to attend in person, a livestream will also be available for the evening programs on Dec. 7 and Dec. 18. As in years past,  this year’s Vespers program showcases the musical talents of students and staff, the diversity of the NMH community, and the unifying themes of love and collaboration that NMH lives by.

“This will be my 28th year at the school,” said music teacher Steven Bathory-Peeler, who chairs the performing arts department, “and every year, as we start to work on this program, I get this really joyful, nostalgic, wonderful feeling.”

Since at least 1909, the NMH community has celebrated the semester’s end by gathering to share in song and reflection. From its Christian roots, Vespers has expanded over time to include readings and musical performances from around the world and across spiritual beliefs.

“I think it has a lot of significance as a tradition that has continued while also changing,” said the Rev. Lee-Ellen Strawn, NMH’s chaplain. “It's a very powerful visual that speaks to the value the school places on tradition, while also evolving to be appropriate for the current student body and our world today. In that sense, I think Vespers plays a very important role.”

This year’s Vespers features traditional favorites along with contemporary takes on classic tunes and holiday themes.

“With Vespers, it's always partially tradition — “Stille Nacht” and “Veni Emmanuel” — but then the other music is new every year,” said Alexandra Ludwig, NMH’s choral director. “One of my favorite pieces on the program is by an Indonesian composer, who uses Latin text in an unusual setting. It’s very fiery and a lot of fun.”

For student musicians, Vespers offers a chance to play together in a full orchestra, combining vocals and instruments to create a unique experience, said violinist Eavan Connelly ’26.

“It's a different group of musicians that are really passionate about making music,” said Connelly, who performs one of this year’s featured solos for the piece “The Adoration of the Magi.” 

“There's a certain kind of bonding that happens after your third three-hour rehearsal. It's a really unique culmination of all of our work,” she added.

Seniors who have performed in previous Vespers ceremonies say it also serves as a sort of benchmark for their NMH experience.

“This will be my third time performing in Vespers,” vocalist Sarah Keator ’26 said. “Seeing the way that it changes every year but still holds that same feeling of community makes it super special and also kind of bittersweet, because it's my last one.”

“Every single year for Vespers, there's this sense of security and safety, knowing that you're continuing a tradition,” agreed Aurora Song ’26, a member of the choir and one of three senior managers for the show. “I was a bit hesitant to fully give myself to Vespers when I first came to NMH, because I’m not really religious. But I’ve come to love a lot of those traditional songs. When you listen to the music, you listen to the feelings given as much as you listen to the lyrics’ concrete meaning. That is why music is such a universal language.”

As a manager, Song, along with classmates Charlotte Relyea-Strawn ’26 and Henry Ormont ’26, is in charge of many backstage duties, ensuring each member of the choir has their robes and music and knows the order of operations.

Relyea-Strawn, who has sung in the choir since 9th grade, said she relishes the opportunity to play a role in putting the performance together one more time.

“There's just so many beautiful things about Vespers, from the candle lights to the organ and violins, the solos, the readings,” she said. “Everyone invests so much time. I hope that people get a sense of everything that’s come before to make Vespers what it is now.”

Among those working to set the tone is Jane Namusisi '26, one of this year's candle lighters for the Vespers program on campus.

Namusisi, who served as an usher last year, said she enjoyed playing an active role in such a significant school tradition.

"It’s a very symbolic and visually impactful role, as we help to gradually illuminate the space, creating a sense of warmth and reverence,” Namusisi said. “The act itself feels meaningful, contributing directly to the beautiful mood of the service.”

That magical combination of elements — music, song, words, lighting, and ambiance — comes together to create an atmosphere of fellowship that makes Vespers a beloved tradition, said Ludwig.

“It’s the importance of maintaining the singularity of one's own traditions and beliefs along with the shared experience of being together,” she said. “As a musician, it's really important to me that music keeps flourishing and allowing us to experience moments like these together. Vespers can be a container for that.”

“It’s usually one of the last things people see before they go into finals or they go on break,” Connelly said. “Going up to the chapel and getting to hear songs that a lot of people have heard their whole life — in the midst of winter, the whole thing is imbued with warmth.”

Vespers, added Namusisi, embodies NMH's commitment to "education for the heart."

“It’s not just about academic excellence, but also about nurturing the emotional, spiritual, and communal aspects of our students,” she said. “What makes it particularly special to me is witnessing the shared appreciation and enthusiasm from everyone present. It’s a powerful reminder of the spirit of community and the magic of the holiday season.”

— Max Hunt

The 2025 holiday Vespers program will be held in Memorial Chapel on the NMH campus on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 3:30pm and 6:30pm. An additional performance will be held at St. George's Episcopal Church in New York City on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 7pm. For more information or to access the livestream of the event, visit nmhschool.org/about-us/traditions/vespers.

Photos by Matthew Cavanaugh Photography.