Bob McDonough is train conductor. He spends his days ferrying passengers between Union Station in New Haven, Connecticut and Grand Central Station in New York City. On one recent trip, Bob got to conduct much more than his train and spread a little holiday cheer in the process.
Bob noticed a large group of young people boarding his train during his morning shift. It turns out the group was the Yale University Glee Club. The group was headed to Manhattan for a performance at the Yale University Club.
The ensemble warmed up their vocal cords during the trip with their version of “Here We Come a Wassailing,” which Bob caught on video and shared on Facebook. At the end of the day, Bob saw the students board his train again for the return trip to Connecticut. This time, Bob wasn’t about to miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do what he does best: conduct.
As the choir started to break out in song, Bob stopped them short and said he was going to direct their performance. The train conductor then became choral conductor as he led the glee club through a beautiful rendition of “Carol of the Bells” much to the delight of fellow passengers – who should have been worrying about who was driving the train…