When Huntley High School’s choir took to the stage tonight for the finale of their quarterly concert, something was different. Instead of wearing their traditional red shirts and black pants, the concert choir was decked out in the boisterous colors of “ugly holiday sweaters,” adding a whimsical touch to the concert that choir director Nancy Cross has described as “winter with a little holiday thrown in here and there.”

The show featured performances from all five of Huntley’s choirs, consisting of the Freshman Mixed Choir, the Men’s Chorus, the Concert Choir, the Treble Choir, and the Mastersingers. The groups all performed songs with diverse backgrounds and different origins, and foreign exchange student senior Anna Deviatko even performed a folk song from her native Ukraine.

“Every choir has a master work, and I think they’ve done a really great job with them,” said Cross. “I’m partial to

[the song] ‘Five Hebrew Love Songs.’”

“Five Hebrew Love Songs” was also the favorite of senior Kora Rea, who has been a choir student since her freshman year and is currently a Mastersinger.

“It’s really interesting, and we’re actually having a violinist come play,” said Rea.

Senior Kalee Brown, a Hebrew speaker, helped the students to ace the pronunciation of the song’s lyrics, and Lyndra Tingley played violin.

In addition to “Five Hebrew Love Songs,” the concert featured a wide variety of music, which ranged from traditional songs like Bach’s “Suscepit Isreal” to more contemporary pieces. Josh Groban’s song “Believe” from the 2004 movie “The Polar Express” is a modern favorite of freshman singer Jenna Boyd.

The show ended on a high note with every choir coming together to sing “Nutcracker Jingles,” a holiday medley. During the song, 12 boys from the choir performed a humorous dance choreographed by Alissa Gorney and Maddie Eberhardt, demonstrating their dancing prowess in flower headbands.

For this concert, Cross also hosted a Wednesday morning rehearsal breakfast, which was open to all choir students. Cross provided dozens of donuts for the students, who ran through their finale number as the boys rehearsed their dance.

Being a member of choir is not only an opportunity for a good laugh and a chance to perform, but is also a chance for many students to embrace their passions for singing.

“I’ve been in choir for four years, and it’s in the middle of my day and it makes me so happy for the rest of the day. Music just really influences me,” said Rea, who even has a music-inspired treble clef tattoo on her ankle. “I’m kind of sad as the concerts keep going because [I’m getting] closer to my last one.”

Being a member of choir has also influenced younger students like Boyd, who is just beginning her musical journey in high school and hopes to perform in college as well.

“It’s fun, and it’s a break from doing school work, and we get to go sing, which is something I enjoy,” said Boyd.

The choir will be performing its next quarterly concert in March.