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SNL pays tribute to the lives lost in Sandy Hook shooting with children's choir singing poignant version of Silent Night

By Lena Sullivan / Dailymail.co.uk 12/16/2012 15:26:00

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Moving: The New York City Children's Chorus sang an a capella version of 'Silent Night' during 'SNL's' cold open

‘Saturday Night Live’ left its usual snark behind for this week’s cold open, instead beginning the weekly live show with a children’s choir.

Dressed in bright red robes, the New York City Children's Chorus sang several verses of the Christmas carol ‘Silent Night,’ all in unison, paying homage to the 20 children and six adults that were slain Friday morning in the quiet town of Newtown, Connecticut.

The uncharacteristic open is reminiscent to how the long-running show has handled other unspeakable tragedies, such as the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Terrible tragedy: The shockingly somber open for the sketch comedy show was meant to be in honor for the 27 victims of Friday's shooting in Connecticut

Merry Christmas: 'SNL' alum Martin Short hosted, singing a naughty version of 'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year'

An NBC spokesperson had told the Hollywood Reporter on Friday that the live show would go on as planned, though they wouldn’t say ahead of time whether or not the show would touch on the Newtown tragedy.

The show was hosted by ‘SNL’ alum Martin Short, who opened the show with a rousing rendition of ‘It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.’

As he ran through the halls of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, he ran into many familiar faces, including fellow ‘SNL’ alums Kirsten Wiig, Jimmy Fallon, and Tina Fey, as well as Samuel L. Jackson and Tom Hanks.

Short was his normal vivacious self, investing whole-heartedly into the first skit where he played a British palace employee telling the Duchess of Cambridge’s new physician how to address her and her more intimate parts.

During Weekend Update with Seth Meyers, the head writer did not allude to the shootings either.

He instead chose to discuss North Korea’s rocket launch (‘No word on how Kim Jong Un celebrated the launch but I’d expect – cake’) and the Pope’s first tweets (‘The Pope gave up pretty quickly, because auto-correct is hell on Latin’).

He also had a mildly enlightening conversation with the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party. The Girl, played by Cecily Strong, asked Meyers what he wanted for Christmas.

'I don't know, maybe an iPad?' he shrugged.

Rousing conversation: Seth Meyers had a mildly enlightening conversation with the Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party

All together now: Sir Paul McCartney joined Short for a skit about holiday auditions

'Well, I want an end to genocide!' the Girl responded.

The 2001-2002 season of the sketch-comedy show opened 18 days after the September 11 attack with Reese Witherspoon hosting.

Many wondered how to approach the 27th season – and the answer seemed to be as normally as possible.

In that particular cold open, executive producer Lorne Michael asked then-New York City mayor Rudi Giuliani: ‘Can we be funny?’

The mayor deadpanned: ‘Why start now?’

Brave new world: Reese Witherspoon hosted the first episode of 'SNL' after the September 11 terrorist attacks

Permission: When executive producer Lorne Michaels asked Rudy Giuliani if it was okay to be funny, the mayor deadpanned: 'Why start now?' here, the end of the post-9/11 show

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