The Christmas spirit and music was in the air in the Doudna Fine Arts Center for the holiday concert on Sunday.

The Holiday Concert featured the Eastern Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Ensemble.

The Charleston High School chorus group also joined Eastern chorus and symphony for a wonderful night, said Sarah Todd, a graduate conductor.

Jeff Bennett, a Charleston and an Eastern Alumni, sang with the chorus as a tenor when he attended Eastern.

Bennett has attended Eastern concerts for year and his son, now 11, has attended the concerts with his dad since he was a baby.

At the end of the last performance, “The Many Moods of Christmas” the audience was invited to join in, Bennett said he added his tenor to the group with joy.

“It was just a beautiful performance, beautiful,” Bennett said.

The performance included: “Improvisations on Christmas Carole” composed by Bryan Kelly; “Magnificant in G” composed by Charles Villiers Stanford; “Christmas Day” composed by Gustav Holst; and “The Many Moods of Christmas” composed by Robert Shaw and Robert Russel Bennett.

The symphony orchestra opened the show and was joined by both the Eastern and Charleston High School choir for the rest of the show.

Together the choir and symphony orchestra gave a lively holiday performance, said Janet McCumber, instructor of music and director the Mixed Choir.

When Richard Rossi, the director of the Eastern Symphony Orchestra, turned to the audience and beckoned them to join in the chorus of “O Come All Ye Faithful,” the audience members joined in and sang to the last note.

McCumber conducted the piece “Magnificat in G.”

McCumber taught high school chorus fro 14 years, but said she enjoys college more.

“I love teaching here, the fabulous performing arts center, I enjoy the students, it’s just wonderful,” McCumber said.

Brooklyn Robison and Bailey Foster, both juniors at Charleston High School and members of the chorus group, have both been in chorus since fifth grade.

Robison performed with Eastern choir last year and said she enjoyed this years’ concert as well.

Both girls named the “Many Moods of Christmas” as their favorite piece.

The featured graduate conductor, Todd conducted the piece “Christmas Day” and also joined with the choir to sing the remaining pieces.

Todd has also conducted two other concerts.

“It’s nerve-racking being up there, but it’s so much more fun to perform than practice,” Todd said.

McCumber said she thought the concert gave the high school students good experience.

“We couldn’t ask for a better outcome and it’s a great experience for the high school kids to perform here (Doudna),” McCumber said.

Amy Schniers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].