The Kishwaukee Concert Band will perform a holiday concert to celebrate the band’s and community ensemble musicians who perform for the love of music.

The free concert will begin at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Boutell Concert Hall in the Northern Illinois University Music Building, 550 Lucinda Ave., DeKalb.

“An American Christmas” includes holiday music with an American twist. “In the Bleak Midwinter,” arranged by Gustav Holst, is a setting for the melody which has a single voice reaching a climax. Marshall Wright’s version of Jay Livingston and Ray Evons “Silver Bells” was first performed by Bing Crosby and Marilyn Maxwell in the 1951 film “Lemon Drop Kid.”

“Mary, Did You Know,” by Mark Lowry and Buddy Green, addresses Mary, Jesus’s mother. Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” is a light orchestral standard created during a heat wave in July of 1946. “Toboggan Ride,” arranged by Stan Applebaum, features an oboe solo which accompanies a toboggan to a clearing.

Felix Mendelssohn’s “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing” is a powerful and dynamic arrangement. “Overture from Messiah,” by George Frideric Handel, is an overture which capture’s the seasons essence. “Away in a Manger,” arranged by Tom Wallace, begins with a straightforward opening before entering a syncopated upbeat theme.

The Kishwaukee Concert Band is a nonprofit composed of adult volunteers who have played an instrument in the past.

For information, visit kishconcertband.com or the band’s Facebook page.