Lehighton Area Middle School Music Department will present the 19th annual holiday program at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 in the school auditorium. The fifth and sixth grade groups will begin at 6:30 p.m. and seventh and eighth grade band and choirs will begin at 7:45 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

The Jazz Ensemble will begin the program. "Frosty the Snow Man," a laid band swing piece, will kick off the concert. Jacob Hoffner, an eighth grade trumpeter, will be featured on this first selection. Next, the jazz ensemble will perform an energetic selection entitled, "Deckin' the Hall," which is based off the carol, "Deck the Halls." Brock Heckman, an eighth grade trombone player, will be featured on this number. The jazz ensemble is under the direction of Thomas Weidner.The fifth and sixth grade, under the direction of Weidner, will perform next. The fifth and sixth grade band will perform the stirring, "Little Drummer Boy." "Stars and Angels," a blend of "Angels We Have Heard on High," and "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," will be their next selection. The fifth and sixth grade band's final selection will conclude with the exciting "Rockin Ol' St. Nick."The Treble Chorale, consisting of fifth and sixth graders under the direction of Weidner, will conclude the first half of the program. The Treble Chorale will perform "It's Christmas Time" which is based off Jessel's "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers." Next, the chorus will perform an original entitled, "Candle In The Night." "This Peaceful Night," which blends original material with "Silent Night," will be their third selection. The Treble Chorale will conclude their portion of the program with Brenda Lee's "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."The seventh and eighth grade portion of the program will begin with the show choir, Music Express Junior, under the direction of Laura Welkey. Music Express Junior will be opening with Jose Feliciano's "Feliz Navidad." Next, this group will perform an original by Jay Althouse entitled, "Christmas on the Beach in Malibu." The show choir will conclude their portion of the program with the Hawaiian Christmas classic, "Mele Kalikimaka."The Choraliers, the seventh and eighth grade chorus under the direction of Welkey, will perform next. They will open their portion of the program with a piece sung in Hebrew entitled, "Hava Nashira." Their next selection, "Here We Come A-Caroling," is a collection of British carols. "A La Nanita Nana" and the visually entertaining "Holiday Lights" will be their next two selections. Then, they will perform a piece in Swahili entitled, "Chapua Kali Desemba." The Choraliers will conclude their portion of the program with the humorous "The Twelve Days After Christmas." Seniors Michael Warkala and Laura Cressley will return to the middle school to accompany the Choraliers for two of their selections.The seventh and eighth grade concert band, under the direction of Beth Perkins, will conclude this year's program. Their first selection will be "Holiday Highlights" by Mark Williams. Next the seventh and eighth grade band will perform an arrangement of the modern Rutter classic, "Candlelight Carol." "Minka's Sleigh Ride," an exciting original from the pen of Pierre La Plante, will be their third selection. "The Nuts and Crackers Suite" written by Tchaikovsky's close relative, P. Eyeitch Tchaikovsky, will be their final selection.The snow date for the program is Tuesday, Dec. 20. The concert is open to the public and all are welcome. A donation will be accepted at the door.