For 99 holiday seasons, the choir — in their traditional red and cream robes — has delighted audiences across the Jamestown community with holiday music, notably during its Vespers performances on Sunday afternoons in December. The second and final Vespers performance will take place at First Lutheran Church, 120 Chandler Street, on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. The performance will also be live streamed at jpsny.org/acappella.

“The choir has been very busy preparing for this upcoming Vespers season. We have close to 20 performances on the calendar! You can expect to hear some familiar songs and some new. We are especially excited to be singing Handel’s “Hallelujah” from the Messiah. Other choir favorites include “Ding-a Ding-a Ding” and “See Amid the Winter’s Snow.” said Lauren Scharf, choir director.

The 63-voice A Cappella Choir features smaller ensembles, including the Madrigal Singers, Men of Tomorrow and Ladies of Today. The choir will be accompanied on the piano by Julie Livengood and on the organ by Brian A. Bogey, the choir’s director emeritus. The Madrigal Singers are also scheduled to perform at a number of holiday events across the Jamestown community — 18 in total — and also were featured in a special production of “Sister Act: The Musical ” through the organization Starring Buffalo in early November..

Starring Buffalo aims to connect Broadway actors, Buffalo actors, and talented high school students to perform in a staged concert musical setting. A select ensemble of the larger JHS A Cappella Choir, the Madrigals were selected to participate in the production with two other high schools from the Buffalo region — City Honors High School and Sacred Heart Academy.

The JHS A Cappella Choir performs for the Rotary Club on Dec. 4. The choir will present its final Vespers service on Sunday, Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. at First Lutheran Church. Admission is free. The performance will be livestreamed at jpsny.org/acappella.

“The students really enjoyed this incredible opportunity,” said Scharf, who, herself, has participated in a similar production in the past. “This experience gave our Jamestown students a chance for them to perform alongside and collaborate with performers from Broadway and the Buffalo area. We’re truly grateful to Starring Buffalo for this incredible opportunity for our kids.”

Established by the ensemble’s founder, Ebba Goranson, in 1924, the Vespers are sacred music concerts performed each December at First Lutheran Church, featuring excerpts from major choral works and seasonal songs and carols to help provide a bit of cheer during the holiday season.

Choral music education has enjoyed a long, rich tradition at Jamestown High School. Goranson directed the choir from 1924 until her passing in 1957. Donald B. Bube served as choral director from 1958-1981. Bogey became the first alumnus of the choir to hold the director’s position in 1982 and, since his retirement in 2003, he continues to support the efforts of the A Cappella through friendship, counsel, and as organist. From 2004 to 2019, Norman Lydell served as director and continues to provide counsel to and support to the choir in many ways.

Through its travels across the country and globe, the choir is known as the “Choir of Cathedrals.” Venues have included, among many others, the National Shrine Basilica and National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C; New York City’s famed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, and Saint John the Divine Cathedral; Boston’s Old North Church, St. Michael’s R.C. Cathedral in Toronto, Canada; and St. Stephan’s Cathedral in Vienna, (home of the Vienna Boys Choir).

The choir also has participated in several master classes at prestigious universities and has performed at a number of professional sporting events and historical sites.