The ISU music department set the mood for the holiday season Sunday night with the 45th annual “Holiday Festival of Music.”

The main floor of Stephens Auditorium was filled almost to capacity while the choirs sang both Christmas favorites and less traditional holiday songs.

University Chorus, the Oratorio Men’s Choir, the Oratorio Women’s Choir and the Iowa State Singers were the featured groups of the choral concert.

Organist Lynn Zeigler started the concert at 7:30 p.m. with “Joy to the World,” and the choirs followed, singing three to four songs each.

One song that was well received by the audience was an energetic piece done by the Oratorio Men’s Choir titled “Betelehemu.” The swaying movements and clapping hand motions of the choir grabbed the audience’s attention.

Combined, the choirs occupied eight rows near the back of the main floor and sang as they walked to and from the stage during their choir changes.

Audience members were encouraged to sing during the choir changes to “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “The First Nowell,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night.” Texts of the carols were included in the program so everyone would know the words to sing along.

The choir changes took the most practice, said Megan Gustafson, sophomore in engineering and member of the Oratorio Women’s Choir. Choir members were nervous about the changes, but she said everything went really smoothly.

As a concert finale, the orchestra and four choirs joined on stage to perform “Praeludium Noel.”

Conductor James Rodde addressed members of the audience at this time, encouraging them to sing along to a rather unfamiliar carol and thanking them for coming.

“We thank you for being here this evening, and we wish you the happiest of holidays,” Rodde said to the audience.