A Russellville holiday tradition will take place once again this weekend as the deGraffenried Chorale performs its annual Christmas concert.

The performance will be Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Methodist Temple at 2:30 p.m. the title of this year’s show is “Christmas All Around.”

“We will be performing some familiar things like ‘Silent Night’ and ‘Jingle Bells’ and also some new and unfamiliar pieces,” said deGraffenried Chorale director Mary Beth Dowden. “We’re trying to give a variety of music that definitely will set the mood to the holiday season.”

The chorale began preparing for the show at the beginning of September and has been working diligently to get ready for its big concert.

“We have a great mixture of people who sing with us because they love to sing,” Dowden said. “We have some charter members that were here when it was founded in 1978 and we also have three high school young men that are singing with us this year.”

Dowden also directed last year’s Christmas concert, but she was filling in at the time for the previous director, who left to take another opportunity.

“Last year I took over at the end of September and we performed the music that he had picked out,” she said. “I’ve really, really enjoyed being able to put this show together, because choral music is one of my passions. We’ve ordered some new pieces that we have never, ever done and we’ve been challenged on one of them, but I think everybody is loving it.”

In the past, chorale members have sent out invitations to the show, but this year they are doing it mostly by word or mouth.

“A lot of people look forward to this annual concert and plan to make that part of their holiday season,” Dowden said. “We really have something for all ages.”

The show will be about an hour or so long and is admission is free.

“This is our gift to the community,” Dowden said. “There’s no charge, but we will give people the opportunity to donate at the end of the show. We are a tax-exempt organization, so if anyone does make a contribution for our ongoing expenses, it is tax deductible.”