Christmas, holiday, or winter? Sacred or secular? Over the years, MENC has taken the pulse of members on the subject of whether singing or playing Christmas music is “okay”. One member expressed “I'm an atheist, and insist students sing all types of music; sacred and secular, as a part of their music education. Students do not, for example, get to 'opt out' of history class because they don't agree with or believe in Nazism.”

The MENC Poll of the Month asks members to tell us what they have titled their school’s December concert. (results below as of 12/14/09)

Winter concert – 78%   Holiday concert -42%   Christmas concert – 39%    Other - 22%
 

• Winter Showcase
• Connecting the Generations through Music
• Winter Holiday Celebration
• “The Nutcracker Suite”
• Celebrate the Season
• A Gingerbread House (named for concert’s theme)
• Christmas/Holiday Concert
• Holiday Program
• December Concert
• Winter Holiday Concert
• Winter Celebration
• Kaleidoscope
•  I refer to it as a “December concert” with students, but Christmas holiday concert is on the program and posters.
• A winter concert, but I am very disappointed that I cannot at LEAST call it a holiday concert!
• We don’t have a “concert” in December – we have a Family Music Night – kids, parents, other family members singing, dancing and playing together.
• Winter Concert I, Winter Concert II, Winter Concert III (the principal came up with these without our input).
  
  RESOURCES and RELATED INFORMATION:
  
  MENC Position Statement on Sacred Music 
  Sacred vs. Secular Syndrome Finale 
  Sacred Music: How Expressive? Survey II 
  Sacred Music, Studied and Surveyed 
  Sacred vs. Secular Repertoire Wranglings
  Sacred Music: How Neutral?
  Sacred Music: Forbidden or Essential?
  
  Next post, January 6: Choral Motivation or Honors Conductor
  
  Enjoy your winter/holiday/seasonal break (formerly known as Christmas vacation!).
  
  --Sue Rarus, December 15, 2009, © MENC: The National Association for Music Education