The Tamaqua Sr. High School Music Department will present its annual holiday music program at 7:30 p.m. Thursdayin the Tamaqua Area Auditorium. The concert 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, featuring musicians from grades 9-12, will open the program with "An American Christmas" by Robert W. Smith. They will follow that with an arrangement by Larry Clark's of "I Wonder as I Wander" and close their set with "Christmas Fancies" by James Curnow.The Concert Choir opens the vocal portion of the concert with two Latin a cappella selections, "Alleluia" and "Et In Terra Pax." They will follow that with the traditional holiday classic "Carol of the Bells." The choir will then sing "Hark! The Angels Sing on High" which is a partner song featuring "Angels We Have Heard on High" with "Hark the Herald Angels Sing." The program comes to a close with the choir singing a holiday pop song made popular byStevie Wonder, "Someday at Christmas."The Raider Concert Band takes the stage, opening the second part of the program with "Ring the Bells on Christmas Day," a selection arranged for band by Ed Huckeby. The band's next piece, a James Swearingen arrangement, is "A Family Christmas." The program continues with a Raider Band tradition of performing Leroy Anderson's holiday standard "Sleigh Ride." The band completes their portion of the program with "With Good Will and Glad Tidings" arranged by William Owens.The Jazz & Concert Chorale will close the program beginning with a Christmas spiritual "Sing Out the News" by Don Besig. The chorale then sings "Winter Night" by Greg Gilpin. The program closes with the chorale singing two jazz selections. First they sing "When October Goes," a Barry Manilow song, and then "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen," an arrangement by Elizabeth Campbell.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 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 $3 for students and senior citizens.