A holiday tradition has reemerged in downtown Hartford: the Back to the Times Carol Sing. Held on the front steps of the Hartford Times Portico, now part of the UConn Hartford campus, the annual sing-along has resumed in a new way, thanks to a new partnership with UConn and UHart. The collective effort was a way to spread holiday cheer to the wider community.
This year, the Hawk spirit came out in a big way with nearly thirty UHart students participating. Two popular a capella groups, L’Shir and Hartattack, lent their musical talents as well as camaraderie, and helped lead the crowd in spirited renditions of popular carols. Many of the students in these groups are vocal studies majors from The Hartt School. As a prelude before the event, a brass quintet from the Hartt Community Division played a series of holiday favorites.
“At L’Shir, we consider ourselves a family,” said Vrishab Murali ’26, a group member and audio engineering student. “To be able to give back and spread our love for music to the community is always a highlight in our college experience. We are very grateful for UHart, UConn and Hartattack for making this experience unforgettable for not just us, but the community as well. Happy Holidays!”
UConn Director of Events Kim Schwarz was thrilled at UHart’s participation. “The students were amazing and definitely got the energy of the night up,” she said.
With UHart’s partnership, UConn hopes to keep the tradition going—and growing—to shepherd in the holiday season in future years.