On Monday Dec. 17, the high school concert band and chorus performed their annual Christmas concert. By playing favorites such as “Deck the Halls” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” the band and chorus prepared everyone in the audience for the holiday season. “My favorite part is when the audience gets involved and looks really happy… It’s a great way to spread Christmas cheer,” percussionist Ally Wolf said. Sophomore Maura Lehocky, a member of the chorus, agrees. “It felt like [the audience was] really in the Christmas spirit with us,” she said. The band had been working hard to prepare for this event. “[The band] spent long hours of hard work and after school practice to make sure we could play everything,” Wolf said. Along with the band members, those students involved with chorus put in a lot of time to do their best in the show. “We gave up our AAP time to get our music just right, sometimes repeating the same song three or four times until we got it right,” Lehocky said. “But we always have a good time [practicing].” Even eighth graders got to show off their singing talents this year. Since there is no longer a middle school choir, middle school students are now part of the high school’s choir. In a special number, these students had the chance to feature their talents in the high school show. Besides being part of the concert band, some students also participated in the jazz band. “The ‘Sugar Plum Rock’ song was my favorite,” Senior Kevin Herbert said. Herbert enjoys being able to hear himself and other members stand out from the rest of the band. Freshman Louis Dubovi, who plays alto saxophone in the jazz band, likes being a part of it because he “really enjoys all jazz music.” As part of the show, Dubovi had a solo in “Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow.” “I was really nervous about my solo, but I felt confident because I had practiced it for so many hours,” Dubovi said. This year, some of Freedom’s barbershop group, called the “Barbershop Boys” also made an appearance. “It felt awesome to be able to [sing] at the concert,” Sophomore Josh Battaglia said. “We have been practicing for about three to four months, so it felt great.” Closing with an audience participation number of “Happy Holidays/White Christmas,” the band and chorus students ended their concert on a high note by bringing merriment to everyone in attendance.