Photo by Emma Delk John Marshall High School Orchestra members Emily Gatts, left, Sophie Cunningham, right, practice on Wednesdsay for the Monarch Tidings concert.

The John Marshall High School Music Department will unite to spread holiday cheer tonight during the seventh annual Monarch Tidings Christmas concert.

The one-day-only event will begin at 6 p.m. at the JMHS Center for Performing Arts in Glen Dale and feature selections from a combination of ensembles from the JMHS Music Department.

The hour-long show will feature selections from ensembles including Concert Band, Steel Band, Concert Choir, Monarch Choir, Women’s Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, String Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra. The ensembles will play a range of festive tunes such as “There Is a Santa Claus” along with well-known favorites including “The Grinch” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

JMHS band director Tracey Filben said music students began preparing and polishing the holiday selections for the concert “over the last several weeks.” On Wednesday, the ensembles combined on the stage for the first time to practice their pieces together.

Filben estimated 200 to 250 students will participate in the concert, including broadcasting students who will record the production. Broadcasting students Morgan Carlin and Ash Roth will serve as hosts of the show.

“There are many collaborative pieces during the concert, so today will be the first day that we come together to actually perform with those mixed ensembles,” Filben said Wednesday. “We traditionally have between 12 to 15 pieces that are featured at Monarch Tidings because every group gets a moment to showcase their piece. We really love the collaborative process because we can come together as ensembles.”

Filben noted that every year since the program began new features have been added, including new ensembles and special pieces.

“Every year we have things we want to do differently, sometimes for just that year or it becomes a tradition,” Filben said. “We love to collaborate in ways that make the kids excited. We’re always looking at adding new lights or projects to keep the concert exciting as well.”

A new ensemble that will take the stage during the concert is the Women’s Ensemble, which is made up of female sopranos and altos from the Select Choir and Concert Choir. JMHS choir director Dave Scherrick said the group will perform a medley of Christmas carols called “Swinging Christmas.”

“I always have more girls than boys in the program, so we thought about trying out a women’s ensemble this year,” Scherrick said. “The women’s ensemble will bridge the gap with those two ensembles (Select Choir and Concert Choir) and allow the ladies to sing in a different ensemble.”

In addition to the JMHS students taking to the stage to play the holiday selections, broadcasting students will be working behind the scenes to record the concert. JMHS broadcasting technology teacher Carly McElhaney said students will be running cameras and working to ensure they capture the production “in the best way possible.”

“With all of our productions, this one included, it’s really all the students making it happen,” McElhaney said. “They run the cameras and get their shots. I like to think of myself as a manager overseeing the students since they do all the work themselves.”

The production will be posted on the WJMH Media YouTube page on Tuesday.

The concert is open to the public, and tickets can be purchased at the door. Anyone who shows their personalized Marshall County Schools Activity Pass will get free admission. Adult admission is $10, student admission is $5 and admission is free for children age 5 and younger.