Hark! The herald trumpets sang!

An hour before the Crestview High School band’s Winter Concert started, the audience was already trickling in. By the time band director Jody Dunn led the students through a series of warm-up exercises at 6:30, the Pearl Tyner Auditorium was half full. At the concert’s 7 p.m. starting time, the hall was standing-room-only.

One of its most popular performances, the Big Red Machine’s annual Winter Concert was an utterly delightful blend of holiday favorites, traditional Christmas music, and few band standards sprinkled in for good measure. The mixture allowed Dunn and assistant band director Matt Clark to showcase the diverse talents of the BRM’s various component bands.

The program began with the Concert Prep Band, which did justice to Ed Huckeby’s swinging arrangement “God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,” getting feet tapping in preparation for the Jazz Ensemble II.

The 20-piece ensemble swung into “This Christmas,” but drew the most applause for “My Funny Valentine” and the 1940s Academy Award “Best Song” winner, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” which showcased the talented Andrew Lanares on trumpet.

After bands swapped places and members of the Concert Band composed themselves on stage, a wonderful ensemble called The Christmas Flutes delighted the audience with two French carols. The group, composed of Taylor Lindley, Taylor Durisek, Hannah King and Brianna Kesler, were a delightful addition to the concert, which otherwise featured the larger groups, and added a simple, enjoyable intimate sound to the evening.

The Concert Band, also directed by Clark, kicked off with the dazzling “A Christmas Flourish,” and concluded with a joyous medley called “A Christmas Festival.”

The virtuosity of Jazz Ensemble I, under Dunn’s direction, began with a song made popular by Glenn Miller, but as Dunn pointed out afterward, “that was obviously not your grandfather’s ‘In the Mood.’” The lively, fast-driving version we enjoyed had been arranged by legendary trumpeter Doc Severinson for “The Tonight Show” Band.

While Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns,” from the Broadway musical “A Little Night Music,” is by no means a Christmas tune, it demonstrated the band’s ability to restrain its exuberance and produce a wonderful melodic tune as well.

Then after a bouncy version of “Winter Wonderland,” the Jazz Ensemble let rip a song that is fast becoming associated with the group. When Dunn introduced Gene Krupa’s arrangement of Benny Goodman’s “Sing, Sing, Sing,” he brought an instant burst of applause when he added, “and it features Johari.”

Drum major Johari’s drum playing is just stunning, the instruments becoming seemingly an extension of his own body as he effortlessly pumped out the tune’s signature thundering drum segments. With the ensemble’s precision horn work added in, it was no wonder the crowd leapt to its collective feet in an appreciative standing ovation.

The Symphonic Band, looking stunning in new evening gowns for the ladies and tuxedos for the gentlemen, thanks to a recent donation, closed the program. The audience joined in, offering the vocals to the familiar beloved carol “Joy to the World. “Abram’s Pursuit” proved a complicated but fabulous selection the band handled with ease, as the musical telling of the Biblical story rose with increasing power.

With the rich baritone of special guest vocalist, CHS choral music director Kevin Lusk, Biebl’s version of Ave Maria was a rich, moving experience.

The thoroughly enjoyable evening concluded with a lively rendition of Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” the Symphonic Band didn’t disappoint, assuring the traditional favorite had the requisite whip cracks courtesy of a slapstick in the percussion section, and the horse whinnies from the skilled trumpeters.

The concert was one of those completely, unabashedly enjoyable experiences that concludes entirely too soon. I easily could have enjoyed another hour of this talented group of young people, whose virtuosity brought special joy to hundreds of people packed shoulder to shoulder last Tuesday evening.

Enjoy selections from the Big Red Machine’s Winter Concert on a special Christmas morning broadcast at 11:06 a.m. on WAAZ 1050 AM, or WJSB 104.7 FM.