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Eager to help usher in the holiday spirit, the Stanly County Concert Band will have its Christmas concert 7 p.m. Dec. 8 at Central United Methodist Church in Albemarle.

Capitalizing off the success of its concert last month, which drew about 350 people to celebrate the organization’s 10-year anniversary, co-director Carmella Hedrick, who has been part of the program since its beginning in 2012, is excited about what people can expect for the upcoming show.

Holiday songs will include “On This Day Earth Shall Ring” and “Santa’s Workshop Samba,” along with several Christmas sing-alongs such as “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Jingle Bells” and “Joy to the World.”

“We’re just hoping that they have a happy feeling about this time of the year,” Hedrick said. “This is a difficult time for some people and we try and make music that is uplifting and we hope that they will come away feeling good.”

The performance, which will last about an hour, is free to the public, though SCCB is encouraging people to bring nonperishable food items that will be donated to Stanly Community Christian Ministry’s food pantry. At its concert last December, Hedrick said, the organization collected more than 300 pounds of food.

In honor of the group’s 10th anniversary, prizes, including T-shirts, will also be given out to audience members.

SCCB’s first two concerts of next year will be 7 p.m. April 27 at the Stanly County Agri-Civic Center and 7:30 p.m. May 4 at Market Station in downtown Albemarle.