The Master Singers, an amazingly talented choral group comprised of a diverse group of local singers directed by recently retired UW-Eau Claire music director Dr. Gary Schwartzhoff, will be performing their enchanting annual holiday concert, Lessons and Carols 2016: A Star’s Light on Dec. 16 at 7:30 pm at the First Congregational UCC in Eau Claire, with an encore performance on Dec. 17 at 1pm at the St. Charles Borromeo Church in Chippewa Falls. The ambiance at these concerts is truly festive, intimate, and absolutely invoking of the holiday spirit. Howard White, a local attorney and a charter and current member of the Master Singers, said this years’ concert isn’t one to miss: “There is a great flow for the concert, yet variety in the pieces. There is a wide range of music from the percussive, sort of an African beat to get the crowd moving, to a four-hand piano piece, to Christmas carols the crowd can join in on and a couple of pieces with string instruments joining us on,” he said. Most of the pieces in the show are a capella, and there is a wide variety in tone from very slow and somber contemplative pieces to very upbeat. The concert will be all over the board, featuring a wide range of emotions, but at its heart it will be a happy concert. “There a couple of pieces in this concert that feature four stringed instruments playing along with us, and are so moving, I have to remember to sing … I get carried away,” White said. The concert also features two pieces by a young up-and-coming composer, Connor Koppein. For a truly unforgettable holiday experience to get you in the holiday spirit, check out the Master Singers’ Lessons and Carols concert. For more information visit www.themastersingers.net.