The last song at the Choral Arts Society of Washington’s “Christmas Music” concert at the the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Monday evening was “Deck the Halls,” and as the chorus sang, event and wait staff worked upstairs doing just that, putting the finishing touches on a Marc Chagall-inspired dining room for the society’s 29th annual holiday benefit. The sold-out gala drew 550 guests for the black-tie dinner at the venue’s Roof Terrace.
Each year, the society chooses a different country to spotlight for the gala, drawing inspiration for the decor and the invitation from a work of art from that country. France and Chagall’s “Paris Opera Ceiling Mural” served as the theme for this year’s “Joyeux Noël” gala.
To create a setting reminiscent of Chagall’s work, Kennedy Center lighting specialist Andre Barette made custom light projections of sections of the mural using gobos. The linens, gold curtains, and floral arrangements were also pulled from the colors of the mural. “We’re really picking up on the golds, burnt reds, and oranges,” said Emily Riffle, the society's director of development, who secured the rights to the image from the Opera National de Paris.
Riffle also worked with the French Embassy and the Alliance Française of Washington to help make the tone of the event authentic to French culture. “You get the feeling that you are in Versailles,” Riffle said of the ornately decorated dining room. “That’s the look we were going for when you walk in the dinner. It’s totally French.”
The evening’s Christmas concert in the Opera House was also on theme, including traditional French carols and even a sing-along of the first verse of “Silent Night” in French, with a quick language lesson from Roland Celette, the cultural attaché of the French ambassador, who dubbed the audience’s pronunciation “excellent.” The one hour and 45 minute performance is part of what helps to make the gala so popular each year, Riffle said. “The concert portion makes it unique. There are lots of black-tie events in Washington, but only ours has a Christmas concert,” she said.
Following the concert, cocktails, and a silent auction, the dinner portion of the evening included a caramelized onion tart, duck cassoulet, and a cheese plate with fruits and nuts for dessert. The evening’s Christmas music continued with performances of holiday classics by ’Round Midnight with special guest Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff Baxter. A last dance ended the night at 11:30 p.m.
