Cora poses in front of Franklin’s courthouse where she will host her Christmas caroling event.
Submitted photo
Some of the top gifts to land on children’s Christmas lists this year include video game consoles, virtual reality headsets, in-game currency and the highly-coveted iPhone 15. However, 10-year-old Cora Dobbins has one wish this holiday season: to sing Christmas carols with her community.
“When people ask me what I want for Christmas, all I say is that I want a good Christmas carol group,” Cora said. “I want to be able to sing loud. I have always been into singing everywhere I go. I love to sing when we are in the car, especially around Christmas.
“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is to sing, and I want to spread Christmas cheer everywhere I go.”
Rebecca Dobbins, Cora’s mother, searched Johnson County for somewhere to take Cora Christmas caroling, but she could not find a group that was not affiliated with a church. She turned to social media for assistance and made inquiries with local elementary school teachers, but to no avail.
Cora has been in various choral groups throughout her life, but did not have the opportunity to perform in any kind of Christmas program this year. The fifth grader’s caroling ambitions were so strong that she and her mother decided to start a holiday event in downtown Franklin with the hope of granting Cora her Christmas wish.
Thus, Christmas Carols at the Courthouse was born with the event being scheduled for Sunday, December 10th from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the fountain in front of the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Franklin.
Singing will proceed at roughly 6 p.m.
“I thought that maybe only a couple of people would be interested,” Rebecca Dobbins said. “It has gotten a lot more attention than I ever thought it would.”
Since the event’s announcement, over 200 people have expressed interest in attending. Dobbins said that she even had a few people commit to traveling over an hour to exercise their yuletide vocal chords.
Cora and her mom have put together a list of Christmas carols with their corresponding lyrics that can be easily accessed through a QR code at the event. They have invited the public to gather and sing along to some of their favorite holiday tunes.
Carolers will also be able to request songs if their favorite song was not yet performed. Some songs may be accompanied by music via a speaker and others with be A capella.
“No auditions and no rehearsals,” Rebecca Dobbins said. “You don’t have to be a great singer. It is more about having fun and having a sense of community. We want to see the Christmas spirit.”
When asked to identify her favorite Christmas carol, Cora said it was difficult to pick just one because she had “like 15.” Some of her honorable mentions included “Jingle Bell Rock” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas.”
“A lot of people think that the presents are what makes Christmas special,” Cora said. “Presents are nice, but I feel like the best thing about Christmas is gathering with friends and family. I like Christmas to be full of love.”
