The annual Christmas concert was held on the evening of December 21. The program opened with the orchestra performing a beautiful arrangement of “Silent Night.” This was followed by “Farandole on ‘Glorious Name,’” a bombastic and fun selection. The orchestra concluded its portion with the crowd favorite, “Sleigh Ride,” complete with a trumpet "horse neigh" at the end.

The feature of the evening was the musical “Christmas Is Forever,” directed by Gary Riler. Woven throughout the choir numbers was a conversation between a man and his daughter and granddaughter, portrayed by Rich Barrett, Jessica Oilar, and Annie Oilar (real-life grandfather, daughter, and granddaughter). The grandfather recounts how the story of Christmas began long before Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem. The opening song explains that God knew from the moment He created the world that mankind would need a Redeemer.

A children’s choir added a burst of energy as they ran up to the platform to sing “Come On, Christmas!” a lively song about favorite holiday traditions such as spending time with family and exchanging gifts. The narration continued with the grandfather telling the story of Jesus’ birth. A ladies' trio sang beautifully in “The Night Before Christmas,” which described the events of that special night.

The song “This Is Our Son” featured a touching duet by Caleb Copko and Holly Lee, portraying Joseph and Mary as they see Jesus for the first time. Annie Oilar followed with a sweet solo in “Light of Jesus, Shine Forever,” accompanied by the choir and orchestra. The program continued with a solos by Marcus Luka and Genevieve Worthington, and verses from “The First Noel” and “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.” The finale included another highlight, an excerpt from the “Hallelujah Chorus,” which captures the joy of Jesus’ birth like no other song.

The musical celebrated the birth of Jesus, planned from the beginning of Creation and still celebrated today because He continues to change lives. Christians will certainly be celebrating Him forever.