POLSON — Christmas filled the air and ears at the Mission Valley Choral Society’s (MVCS) Annual Christmas Concert on Sunday afternoon. Although which annual year is up for debate. MVCS Director Mason Niblack chuckled, “it is around 50,” he stated during his introduction, “but it can be whatever year you want it to be.”

Good humor, festive decorations and red bow ties filled the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church along with some few hundred attendees. The MVCS was joined by the Copeland Memorial Ringers and the Flathead Flute Choir in performing a number of Christmas and holiday tunes that seemed to put everyone in a holly jolly mood.

Members of the MVCS put in plenty of hard work in preparation for the event.

“We began rehearsing the third week of September this year, ” Niblack said, “but we started thinking of choral and instrumental selections in late July.”

“The Choral Society likes to switch up the songs every year,” Niblack added, “we choose music that we think works with our choral members’ voices and we look at what is new in the [Christmas music] field.”

Although some old favorites make it into the performance, “we had popular demand from several choral and [recurring] audience members that said, ‘you have to  do We Wish You a Merry Christmas.’” Niblack said.

Over the year the group performs at several events in the area. This includes bringing parts of the Christmas concert to nursing homes, assisted living centers and hospitals during the holiday season.

“The members of the MVCS enjoy putting on the performance for the community,” Niblack added, “that is our biggest reward, the pleasure of bringing the community together during the holiday season.”