Christmas in Washington brought musical performance, television production and presidential attendance together in a holiday concert. Its archives are easiest to understand when you identify a particular year. The 2001 event at the National Building Museum provides a clear example: the concert took place on December 9, with a broadcast scheduled for December 16.
The 2001 event: performance and broadcast
The George W. Bush Presidential Library preserves an invitation naming Reba McEntire as host (PDF, page 52 of 55). It gives Sunday, December 9, 2001, a 6 p.m. performance and the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The invitation places the concert under the patronage of the president and Laura Bush.
The official Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents (PDF, printed page 1795) records that George W. Bush and Laura Bush went to the museum on December 9 for the television production. It states that the program would air at 8 p.m. on December 16. Together, these records establish the event date, venue, attendance and announced broadcast date.
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| Date type | 2001 example | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Performance date | December 9, 2001 | When the concert took place; supported by the invitation and official presidential schedule. |
| Announced broadcast date | December 16, 2001 | When the television production was scheduled to air, according to the contemporaneous official record. |
| Upload or catalog date | Depends on the copy you find | When a later clip or archival record was posted or processed. Check its event details before assigning a performance year. |
A useful label is “Christmas in Washington, December 9, 2001; broadcast scheduled December 16, 2001.” Keep the two dates together when your purpose is identifying a recording.
What each archival source can establish
The invitation is a planning document: it identifies the named host, venue and arrangements. The presidential schedule records participation. Neither document supplies a complete musical running order. To identify a particular solo or medley, look for program credits or a caption tied to that performance.
A later official photograph gives another point of reference. The White House’s December 2005 concert caption identifies the 24th annual event at the National Building Museum. It names President and Mrs. Bush, Dr. Phil and Robin McGraw, and Carrie Underwood singing “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing!” This supports a specific scene from the 2005 edition.
The comparison shows why a familiar venue or presidential couple is only a starting clue. A dated caption and named participants make the identification more precise. Preserve the photographer’s credit when citing a photograph, and follow the archive’s usage information if you plan to reproduce it.
Identify a clip before adding it to a viewing list
- Record the visible title and source. Save the link, uploader or archive name, stated year and the date you checked it. Include “excerpt” if the copy shows only part of the concert.
- Look for identifying details. Note a host’s introduction, on-screen credits, a named performer or an official caption. Write down the exact moment that provides the clue.
- Compare with a dated record. Use the invitation, schedule or caption above where it matches the year and scene. An unsupported title remains a tentative label.
- Describe the evidence’s limits. A short clip can establish who appears in that segment. A complete lineup or song order needs a fuller source.
Example: an undated finale photograph
If a copy shows the Bushes, Carrie Underwood and the McGraws singing together, compare it with the official 2005 photograph and its caption. A match gives you a documented year and scene. Record the image source beside that conclusion so someone else can check it; identify the song from the caption rather than guessing from an open mouth or a still frame.
Use broadcaster, artist and institutional archives when available. Access to recordings changes, and an upload may be shortened or mislabeled. Check the actual clip before promising a full concert for a family viewing session.
Watch the music and the television choices
Once you have identified the performance, watch it once for the song and once for the presentation. Notice how camera cuts move between soloist, ensemble and audience, how introductions connect different performers, and how a finale creates a shared closing moment. These are viewing questions, not claims about the contents of every edition.
Keep observations separate from the production record. A reaction shot tells you what the television edit presents at that moment; it provides limited evidence about an attendee’s response to the whole performance. A clear viewing note might name the source and year, describe one musical feature and identify one camera choice.
For an evening built around recorded music, compare the album and live-version distinctions in Mariah Carey’s Christmas recordings. For broader choices, return to the Christmas guides.