Students Surprise MFA Crowd with 'O Holy Night'

Student Evan Chapman orchestrates an impromptu performance of "O Holy Night" at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. 

December 19, 2013

Art enthusiasts were treated to a spontaneous performance of "O Holy Night" by a flash mob of dozens of Berklee students at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston last weekend. 

Evan Chapman—a composition and film scoring dual major who graduates from Berklee at the end of this semester—and student Josh Knowles orchestrated the event, which featured Berklee cellists, violinists, vocalists, and soloist Mark Joseph. 

"This is the first flash mob or public performance I've ever coordinated. Working with the MFA was incredible as it really helped to make this project cohesive and seamless. I can't imagine a better setting to bring music to people," Chapman said of the single-song concert in the museum's Shapiro Family Courtyard. 

Within two days of going live on YouTube, the video had received over 160,000 views. "I can happily say that the feedback and traction that the latest video has received nationwide has been an incredibly humbling experience that I had not expected. The encouragement we’ve received has been inspiring in looking towards future projects," Chapman wrote in his Berklee blog