CAMBRIDGE — Hundreds of happy neighbors attended the third annual (in recent years) Christmas tree lighting in the City of Cambridge this past Saturday evening. The lighting and celebration was brightened by music, joy, warm weather and the appearance of Santa Claus. The evening was livened up by emcee Troy Hill of MTS Broadcasting, who entertained the crowd and tried to squeeze his way into each of the choral groups, to no great success. He took the rejection in good humor, though! Mayor Victoria Jackson-Stanley greeted the crowd and wished everyone a happy holiday, “And by that I mean, Merry Christmas!” was her message. The mayor also introduced Susan Tripp-Jones, the new City Manager, and said she was looking forward to sharing some of her workload with the new town employee. County Council President Ricky Travers also spoke, reminding everyone of “the reason for the season.” He wished everyone a safe, happy holiday season, and time to celebrate the times with family and friends. A musical performance was given by the Cambridge Community Choir, directed by Pastor Arlinda Cornish Barnes. The Choir did a rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus that rocked the house, with a delivery full of rollicking joy. Immediately following was the North Dorchester Middle School Chorus, under the direction of Kevin Lewis. The Middle School kids sang three songs and did a great job, accompanied by Mr. Lewis on keyboard. It was soon time for the official Christmas tree lighting, with the Mayor throwing the switch and joining Santa Claus on the stage. The kids were already lined up for Mr. Claus, and they kept him occupied until the crowd thinned down! The Christmas tree lighting was a great start for the season, being only the third time for the event after a break of 40 years! With the warm weather as an incentive to stick around, much of the crowd drifted up to Cambridge’s “Main Street” to enjoy the Small Business Saturday evening, with many shops and restaurants open for Christmas shoppers.