It's just fun to sing with 250 other classmates, said South Dakota State University junior Ben VanMoer of Tracy.
The South Dakota State University Concert Choir, Statesmen and Women's Choir are presenting a Yuletide concert at 1 and 4 p.m. Sunday in the Performing Arts Center at SDSU in Brookings, S.D.
But instead of the usual concert presentation on the main stage, the three choirs will sing from different places within the Performing Arts Center, whether it's the hallway, the balcony or the stage itself.
"There's a lot of choreography," said director Steve Grives in a press release.
The singers will perform in the style that is done at the SDSU madrigal dinners - moving from place to place. But those are performed at a smaller setting, Lincoln Music Hall, with around 50 singers.
Sunday's concert will boast 218 singers - 48 in Concert Choir, 50 in the Statesmen and 120 members in the Women's Choir. The combined choirs will perform five songs together.
"It's really cool, we have more than 200 people," said SDSU freshman Aubree VanKeulen of Minneota.
And to pull it all off, the students have rehearsed the music since the beginning of the school year in September.
"We've done a lot of extra practices," said Theresa Swedzinski, an SDSU student from Milroy. She said there have been a couple of three-hour long rehearsals on Saturday mornings.
"Our rehearsal last Saturday (Dec. 4) was just choreography of who is going where," Swedzinski said.
Swedzinski, along with Van Keulen, are sopranos in the Women's Choir. VanMoer is a tenor in the Concert Choir. VanMoer said this is a new idea the choirs are doing for its Yuletide concert.
When the choirs first got together to work on the songs, the sound was so overpowering, VanMoer said. After a few rehearsals, it started to come together, he said.
"It's just gorgeous, we've just blended so well," VanMoer said.
VanMoer said the Concert Choir is performing a couple of songs onstage, but is mainly going to be in the aisles among the audience members.
"They're (audience members) going to be engulfed in the concert," VanMoer said.
"I'm really excited, it's happening all around," VanKeulen said.
And there is not a break in the holiday music, students said.
"It's more of a continuous thing," Swedzinski said. "When we're not singing, we have an organ player."
VanMoer said there will be a wide array of music the choirs are performing, and the Concert Choir is even doing a Jewish piece, so other cultures and religions are included as well.
Songs the combined choirs are doing include "O Holy Night," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Angels We Have Heard On High."
"Those are kind of the classic, more carol type of songs we're doing together," Swedzinski said.
The student singers said they're looking forward to entertaining their family and friends Sunday.
"It's just going to be a wonderful show," VanMoer said.
"I'm excited," VanKeulen said.
"It's really amazing, it's going to be a really good concert," Swedzinski said.