A Thanksgiving Tribute: Celebrating Tradition and Connection at Bryn Mawr

By: Svara S. ‘28

Bryn Mawr celebrates Thanksgiving like no other, the day bringing many cherished memories and traditions to the students and school. Along with the long-awaited Thanksgiving break, members of the Bryn Mawr community look forward to the special Thanksgiving meal, prepared by our wonderful cafeteria staff, and many’s favorite convocation: Thanksgiving convocation. 

The hour-long convocation features performances by the Middle and Upper School dancers, choirs, orchestras, spoken poetry, and Little School singers. Thanksgiving convocation allows all divisions of the school to connect and celebrate together, forging memories held dearly by the parents, staff, students, and alumni. Similar to the Thanksgiving convocation, the late Ms. Lacy, Bryn Mawr’s previous 1st-grade teacher, was able to do just that. Connect. 

Ms. Lacy taught in Bryn Mawr’s Lower School for many years, creating connections with the many students she loved and the teachers she worked with. In her remembrance, she requested the school’s choirs (Camerata and Dayseye) to perform Hail Holy Queen from Sister Act, a movie where music triumphs and connects all. Soloists Evangeline Burke and Brooke Brotman noted how much of a proud and considerate teacher she was in the Bryn Mawr community, making each of her students feel equally valued and appreciated. In an interview with Burke, she recalls one of her favorite memories with Ms. Lacy - the 1st grade Nutcracker puppet show before winter break. She says, “I remember doing that show and Ms. Lacy smiled so big from the back…she couldn't have been prouder. Her smile was so big, you could see it even though she was so far away. I couldn’t believe that a silly puppet show like ours could make someone so proud, that’s just how much she cared about us and really believed in her students.” 

As someone who had grown up with the Sister Act movies, Mrs.Veihmyer, conductor and leader of the Upper and Middle School choir, had always loved the Sister Act arrangement of Hail Holy Queen. The idea that the power of music could save the world drew her into the story of Sister Mary Clarence and her claim that church should not be boring. At the question of her connection to Hail Holy Queen, Mrs.Veihmyer responded with, “The Hail Holy Queen scene is among the moments that solidified my desire to direct and perform in choirs for life. The soundtrack was one of the first CDs I purchased.  To find out, after her passing, that Ms. Lacy delighted in that same scene of beautiful and joyful singing filled my heart. Her life and years of service are woven into the very fabric of Bryn Mawr, and I think that in some small way, we are able to keep her spirit alive in song.” 

With a strong connection to the music and the meaning behind it, Mrs.Veihmyer was deeply honored to perform and conduct Hail Holy Queen, along with the Upper and Middle school choirs and dance companies, at this year’s Thanksgiving convocation in Ms. Lacy’s honor - adding a new heartfelt message to Bryn Mawr’s traditions.