The young hobbit-friends gather in the field. Frodo had come up with what he considered to be a great plan for the midwinter Yuleday, which he is now excitedly explaining to his crowd of listening friends.

“You know the stories Uncle Bilbo tells about the elves in Rivendell? How they would all sing at the same time? With different harmonies? Uncle Bilbo says it is both majestic and playful. What could be better for our Yuleday celebrations?”

“That’s stupid! How would we sing in tune? Whenever I try to get Pippin to sing with me, it’s wildly off-key,” said Merry.

“We practice, of course!” says Fatty. “I’m in!”

~~~

The next day, the friends meet in the same field.  There had originally been six of them, including Frodo, but Sam had convinced three of his older siblings to come along, and Merry and Pippin had rounded up a variety of other hobbit-children, so the group now numbered twenty-one.

“It seems like everyone’s here,” said Frodo. “Let’s get started?”

“Can we all choose a song?” asked May, Sam’s sister. “How many songs are we going to sing?” asked Pippin.

“Well, that’s up to all of us,” said Frodo. “How many do you want to sing? What are some of our favorites? I think it should be something jolly, but also that impresses the adults.”

“How about two songs?” said Ella, one of Pippin’s acquaintances. “That seems like something we can manage. But… shouldn’t we vote?”

“This is silly,” said Sam. “And much too formal for my liking. Blue Skies is pretty, what do y’all think?”

“Sure,” chorused a few of the hobbits.

“I like The Fire Was Warm,” piped in Betsy shyly.

“Any complaints?” asked Frodo. “No,” said the hobbits, voices popping in and out like popcorn.

“Then let’s begin!”

~~~

That year’s Yuleday was an unqualified success. The hobbit chorus performed in the evening, after a lovely meal with just the tasteful amount of spices. (Well, more than some would consider tasteful. But it wasn’t Bilbo’s fault that some hobbits had no interest in exciting flavors!) Frodo had attempted to keep his choir a surprise, but, of course, Bilbo had figured it out more or less on the second day of its existence, terrible secret-keeper that his nephew was. But he pretended to be surprised for the sake of Frodo and his friends - and his joy was genuine.

“Did you like it?” asked Frodo, looking uncharacteristically nervous. “I was inspired by you, you know. Your stories of the elves who would try to blend their voices.”