On December 8, 2023, the Harvard University Band hopped on the Red Line with their instruments. They received a lot of curious glances from other passengers–where are these musicians dressed in bright crimson blazers going?

Downtown Crossing!

Every holiday season, the Harvard University Band (HUB) travels to the bustling area of Downtown Crossing to gift the community with holiday music. Music selections include classics such as “All I Want for Christmas is You” and “Jingle Bells.” The festively-dressed HUB members enthusiastically perform their first selection of music right by Macy’s, drawing a large crowd of shoppers and their families.

Afterwards, the HUB receives applause from the gathered listeners, but the Band is not done yet!

HUB travels a couple more blocks and performs their selection of holiday music again. This time, they also perform the Harvard fight songs, which include “10,000 Men of Harvard”, “Up The Street”, “Harvardiana”, and more. Each instrumental section has a fight song that is specific to them. When their song is called, each section will run away from the band, dance, and perform their solo. For example, when Up the Street is called, the flute section runs and does a kickline before performing their short soli.

After this second performance, the band, tired and proud of their performance, hops back on the Red Line, excited to get back to Harvard campus and rest.

However. . . the performances aren’t done yet!

When the Red Line arrives at Central Square, the stop before Harvard Square, the saxophone section starts playing music from their corner on the train. One by one the other sections join them, the percussion, the flute and clarinets, the trumpets, horns, and low brass. Meanwhile, the passengers on the train receive a surprise performance of “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

The HUB had a great time bringing music to the Greater Boston area and brightening each audiences’ day. If you missed their performance, no worries! You can always catch the HUB performing at Harvard Athletics games, and there will be many, many more holiday performances to come!