The Tamaqua Senior High School Music Department will present its annual "Holiday Music Program" at 7:30 p.m. Thursday 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, featuring musicians from grades nine-12, will open the program with "Christmas Sketches (Fantasy on Good King Wenceslas)" by Sean O'Loughlin. They will follow that with an arrangement by Jeff Simmons of "The First Noel."The Concert Choir opens the vocal portion of the concert with "Baby Born in Bethlehem" by Jay Althouse. They will follow that with a partner song titled "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth" which was made popular by singing legend Bing Crosby and pop icon David Bowie. The first half of the program comes to a close with the choir singing the holiday classic "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" arranged by Roger Emerson.The Raider Concert Band takes the stage opening the second half of the program with "Up on a Housetop," a selection arranged for band by Simmons. The band's next piece is a partnering of "Carol of the Bells" with "Greensleeves." The program continues with a Leroy Anderson holiday standard, "A Christmas Festival." The band completes its portion of the program with "A Celtic Christmas" by James Hosay, which features the percussion section.The Jazz and Concert Chorale will close the program beginning with a jazzy rendering of "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow," arranged by Kirby Shaw. The chorale then sings a Mac Huff arrangement of "In the Bleak Midwinter" and everyone's holiday favorite "The Christmas Song." The Jazz Chorale closes its set with a rousing and uplifting spiritual "Lift Up Your Voice" by Victor Johnson.The program will conclude with the audience joining the band and choir for a festive singalong.Accompanists for the choirs are Antonetta Gerace, Sierra Petrucci, Faith Roberts and Patrick McMullen.The Raider Band and Senior High Wind Ensemble are under the direction of Mark Beltz. The Concert Choir and Jazz Chorale are under the direction of John Buglio.Doors to the auditorium will open at 6:45 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and senior citizens.