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Ukuleles, choirs and fiddles—oh my! Make Music Winter’s plethora of music-making events will spring to life across New York on Sunday, December 21. For the event’s 13th year, anyone can join the parades of instruments or singing events where music soars across the streets. On the darkest day of the year, stumbling upon pure sonic joy will surely brighten you up.
The lineup for this year’s festivities is thrilling. “Street Motets for New York City” takes place all over Greenwich Village, as 50 choir members sing British melodist Pete M. Wyer’s new composition while wandering the streets in groups of two. These duos will intersect across the neighborhood, bursting into harmony when they see each other.
Those choir members might run into singer/songwriter Gwendolyn Fitz along their route, as Fitz is leading “Ukulele Caroling” at Astor Place. A mass of ukulele players will make their way through holiday tunes and folk classics from noon until 3pm, with public participation encouraged. Directly afterwards, the Kevin Nathaniel-organized Kalimba Unity Groove Experience will bring together xylophone, guitar, mbira and more.
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Elsewhere in Manhattan, there’s no shortage of music and community. In Midtown, an ensemble of guitarists led by Patrick Grant will rock out, while Mobile Hallelujah will perform Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” at seven locations. Over at Hudson Yards, Harmonica expert Jia-Yi He will lead folks in a “Harmonica Holiday Jam,” which includes a crash course on the instrument.
Further north at The Bronx Music Heritage Center, a parranda will take place to celebrate Puerto Rican culture in the arts, including plena music and dancing. As they move through the streets, listen for Puerto Rican holiday songs and grooves from drummer Bobby Sanabria. Across town, Flatfoot Flatbush returns to Brooklyn, with old-time-y music being paired with Appalachian flatfooting dance.
The concerts aren’t just limited to New York, as other cities from Atlanta, GA to Milwaukee, WI are getting in on the fun. Times, meeting locations and more information can be found at MakeMusicNY.org.