Tamaqua HS Holiday Music Program to be held Thursday

The Tamaqua Area High School Music Department will present its annual "Holiday Music Program" on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tamaqua Area Auditorium.

The concert will feature the best in holiday selections presented by students in the Concert Choir, Jazz Chorale, Sr. High Wind Ensemble, and the 'Raider' Concert Band.

The Wind Ensemble will open the program with "Christmas Declarations" by Robert W. Smith. They will follow that with "Greensleeves." They close their portion of the program with "A Canadian Brass Christmas Suite" by Calvin Custer.

The Concert Choir opens the vocal portion of the concert with "Alleluia" arranged by Russell Robinson, and "Awake, Awake a Joyous Noel" by Carl Strommen. They will follow those selections with a new holiday medley entitled "Christmas Pops Trio". This is a new version of the holiday classics "Winter Wonderland", "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

The 'Raider' Concert Band opens the second half of the program with Jack Bullock's "A Celebration of Christmas Carols". The program continues with "Twas in the Moon of Wintertime" by Robert W. Smith.

The band completes their portion of the program with "A Yuletide Memory" and the LeRoy Anderson holiday classic "A Christmas Festival."

The Jazz and Concert Chorale will close the program beginning with "Bethlehem, Bethlehem."

The Jazz Chorale women will perform "Coventry Child" a pairing of "What Child is This?" with the traditional "Coventry Carol." The men will sing "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and the chorale finishes with a swinging version of "Baby It's Cold Outside.

The program will conclude with the audience joining the band and choir for a festive sing-a-long.

Accompanists for the choirs are Drew Bonner, Erin Raymond, Steven Moyer and Emily Zancofsky.

The 'Raider' Band and Senior High Wind Ensemble are under the direction of John Potlunas and guest conductor Andy Jasinski. The Concert Choir and Jazz Chorale are under the direction of John Buglio.

Doors to the auditorium will open at 6:45 p.m. There will be an admission charge of $3 for adults and $2 for students.