Friday, October 2, 2026
Jay Daniels returned to the Island Park Public Library on Dec. 6 for a community holiday sing-along, his second appearance since performing a Burt Bacharach tribute earlier this year.
For Daniels, the holidays have always started with music. Long before he became a traveling performer, before the concerts and senior-community circuits, Daniels learned that the season’s warmth came not only from Christmas tree lights or cookie trays — but from the songs his family played on repeat.
“My family would listen to Bing Crosby, Karen Carpenter, those old Time Life Christmas collections,” Daniels said. “Whether we were on the road or at home, those songs were always there.”
That sense of shared sound and shared memory is what Daniels brought to the Island Park Library. First crafting his seasonal programs nearly 15 years ago, Daniels draws from the songs he grew up with hearing with his parents and from the hymns he knew from church.
That personal connection is also why Daniels pays close attention to what audiences want. Over the years, he has tried working modern or lesser-known holiday music into his shows, experimenting with programs built around film scores and TV specials. But he quickly learned that, especially for older audiences, the heart of the season lies in the familiar.
“I try to balance old and new, but the truth is, my audience is content singing the songs they grew up with,” Daniels said. “Some of them are not as familiar with the newer stuff. They want the favorites of the season.”
That desire for familiarity, Daniels believes, reflects a broader reality about the winter season.
“While some people eagerly await Hallmark movies and festive celebrations, others face emotional or financial challenges that make the holidays more difficult,” Daniels said.
He finds that bringing storytelling and reflection into each show allows him to reach listeners no matter how they are entering the season.
“Nostalgia plays a heavy role,” Daniels said. “One chord takes you back to where you first heard it.”
As a former choir director at Episcopal churches in Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, Daniels emphasized the power of connection when it comes to music, which is why he made this event a sing-along. Even when a program isn’t labeled as one, holiday crowds naturally join in, and Daniels welcomes it.
“I look at it this way: we come together with many voices, but when we sing these songs, we come together as one,” Daniels said. “There are very few places anymore where people want to come together. People have always sung, and I’ve never stopped them.”
The Dec. 6 lineup reflected the spirit of the holidays by incorporating classics such as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Winter Wonderland;” Daniels’ favorites like “White Christmas;” and traditional pieces like “The Dreidel Song” and “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah.”
These selections round out a program meant to bring the community together, one chorus at a time — and that’s exactly what Daniels felt during his performance.
“I looked around and thought this is what the holidays are all about,” Daniels said. “Moments are fleeting. Take advantage of them while they’re here.”
