By Oniska Blevins

The Selma Times-Journal

The award-winning Selma High School Choir is having its annual Christmas concert Sunday, Dec. 10 at 4 p.m.

The concert will be in the Selma High School auditorium located at 2180 Broad St. Admission is $5.

This year the choir will be singing classic Christmas carols and excerpts from Handel’s “Messiah.”

Colin Lett, director of Selma High School Choir, said he has been giving voice lessons to the three soloists and feels this portion of the concert will show the growth of the choir’s musicianship.

The soloists are junior Kaleb Reeves (baritone), senior and student conductor Alisha Sajna (mezzo soprano), and senior Kiera Boyd (alto).

Lett said in addition to the classics, they will also be singing new modern music with a twist. They will also sing gospel pop, rap and a blend of musical selections.

“It’ll be an eclectic variety of music that will be rendered,” Lett said. “Our student conductor actually put together a medley and a small group to do their own little medley of music.”

Last year, attendance was between 300-400, and this year he is expecting the same.

“People supporting the choir is really supporting the community cause that’s who these kids are. They are ambassadors for the city of Selma,” Lett said.

Lett says the students form friendships from performing and traveling together. He says being in the choir also adds an element of school pride, and no matter their upbringing when they stand in unity with the choir its adds a sense of pride.

The choir travels and represents their school and community in competitions as well. In November, they won first place in their division at the Cultural Arts Center Choral Festival in Dothan for Division Two.

“When we travel, we try to represent the city of Selma in an excellent way,” Lett said.

Lett said they also registered the choir’s sub group, The Selma High Singers, and they won second place in the competition for Division Two.

Proceeds from the concert are used to help with the choir’s travel expenses to view colleges in the spring.