The Tamaqua Senior High School Music Department will present its annual “Holiday Music Program” on Thursday in the Tamaqua Area auditorium.

The concert, which will begin at 7:30 p.m., will feature the best in holiday selections presented by students in the Concert Choir, Jazz Chorale, Senior High Wind Ensemble, and the Raider Concert Band.

The Wind Ensemble, which features musicians from grades nine through 12, will open the program with “An English Christmas” by Clare Grundman. That will be followed with an arrangement by James Swearingen of “Star of Wonder.”

The Jazz & Concert Chorale opens the vocal portion of the concert with “The Holly and the Ivy” arranged by Russell Robinson. They will follow that with a set of four carols from the Alfred Burt catalog, including “Caroling, Caroling,” “All on a Christmas Morning,” “We’ll Dress the House,” and “Ah, Bleak and Chill the Wintry Wind.”

The first half of the program comes to a close with the chorale singing “For the Autumn Sky” by Elaine Schram.

The Raider Concert Band opens the second half of the program with another James Swearingen arrangement, “O Come, All Ye Faithful.” “A Holst Christmas Music” featuring melodies by well-known composer Gustav Holst and the traditional holiday favorite “A Christmas Festival” by LeRoy Anderson will follow. The instrumental portion of the concert concludes with “Ring in the Joy,” a collection of traditional holiday carols.

The Concert Choir will close the program, beginning with a vocal fanfare “Sing We Now of Christmas” by Jay Althouse. The choir will then sing a Natalie Sleeth composition, titled “Were You There on That Christmas Night?” The men are featured on the next selection “Jingle Bells with a Jingle Bass.” The choir closes their set with Greg Gilpin’s “Peace on Earth.”

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

Accompanists for the choirs are Antonetta Gerace, and Faith Roberts.

The Raider Band and Senior High Wind Ensemble are under the direction of Mark E. Beltz and the Concert Choir and Jazz Chorale are under the direction of John D. Buglio.

Doors to the auditorium will open at 6:45 p.m. There will be an admission charge of $5 for adults and $2 for students and senior citizens.