It’s no coincidence that the car radio starts playing sleigh bells, once turning onto Sumner Avenue in Springfield.
The three-hour curated playlist for Bright Nights at Forest Park is set to put drivers at ease before they enter the LED-lit gates.
Keith O’Connor of Holyoke is the man behind the music.
O’Connor, who works at Baystate Health in public relations and owns nearly 100 Christmas ties, remembered years back when he heard two somber songs come on as he drove through the otherwise festive scene.
Recounting the tale, O’Connor, who also writes for The Republican, said he called Judy Matt, president of Spirit of Springfield and a long-time friend.
“We can’t have such sad songs,” he said.
They decided he would take over the creation of the soundtrack for Bright Nights. Almost a decade later, it’s not just the lights that have become the attraction, but the carefully chosen playlist too.
The process starts in October, when O’Connor begins to think about the potential playlist. After new holiday songs are released, final decisions are made in November. O’Connor organizes the music into 10 segments, each containing six songs and a message read by Santa, written by O’Connor, who also moonlights as Santa for Bright Nights.
Nearly half of this year’s playlist are new songs by contemporary artists. The other half are popular songs used in prior years. O’Connor’s current favorite is “We’re Going Caroling” by Dick Van Dyke and Jane Lynch, a new hit with an old-time feel.
Keith O’Connor with one of the resources that he uses to research and mix the musical soundtrack to Bright Nights in Forest Park from his Holyoke home. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 12/18/2023The Republican
The 60 songs are selected by O’Connor from his collection of more than 200 Christmas CDs, his extensive download library and searching through Hallmark Christmas movies.
No song is used twice and he makes sure to balance two upbeat songs followed by a slower one, to ensure the sequence flows.
O’Connor places two instrumental songs in each of the 10 segments to break things up and to provide the effect of movie soundtrack moments. Each segment has a holiday song from one of the most popular crooners: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, or Johnny Mathis and a mix from contemporary artists.
O’Connor is particularly excited about Cher’s new single, “DJ Play a Christmas Song.” Also sprinkled throughout the segments are popular children’s Christmas songs, long-standing holiday hits and songs celebrating Hanukkah.
A new song that O’Connor feels is an important addition to his list is “Peace, Joy, Love” by Jim Brickman, Haley & Michaels, Mat & Savanna Shaw, featuring The Ukrainian Chorus Dumka of New York.
Getting it on the air
Once the playlist is made, O’Connor burns three CD’s and listens to them through multiple times to ensure everything is transferred correctly. He then passes the CDs to Charlie Breguet of Southampton, who reads and records the Santa scripts for each segment.
Matt introduces Santa’s readings and Pat Gagnon, of Springfield, records the voiceover that starts with the welcome address.
Breguet then formats the whole playlist into an MP3, inserts the recorded scripts and turns it over to the Springfield Police Department, which arranges for the music to be tuned into a frequency as the local radio station WELF 100.7 FM for the duration of Bright Nights.
The Spirit of Springfield pays an annual fee to the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) for the licensing of the songs. It has an arrangement with the Springfield Police Department for the use of the local radio frequency.
Stacks of compact discs on the desk of Keith O’Connor that he uses to mix the musical soundtrack to Bright Nights in Forest Park from his Holyoke home. (Don Treeger / The Republican) 12/18/2023The Republican
The intention behind a three-hour playlist was originally to ensure that cars waiting in line to get into Bright Nights could enjoy the music as they waited. But with the recent transition to online tickets, long lines haven’t been a problem, despite the event’s popularity.
A typical day at Bright Nights will bring an average of 1,500 cars, plus bus groups. Bright Nights has had over 7 million visitors since its opening day.
O’Connor wants to make sure music is a memorable part of the experience. After working in public relations at Baystate for 33 years, he is about to retire and enjoys this holiday project on the side.
“I love doing this immensely,” says O’Connor. “And I love being Santa. It is a privilege.”
And with the season winding down, he already has a few songs in mind for next year’s playlist.
