With only a few days left until Christmas, the Anthracite Philharmonic, under the direction of Mark P. Thomas, spread holiday cheer Saturday during Christmas Pops.
The concert was held at First United Methodist Church, Third and Market streets, Pottsville, and was originally scheduled for Dec. 14.
Established in July 2011 by members of the former Schuylkill Symphony, the Anthracite Philharmonic is made up of 42 musicians.
Linda Kriner, president of the philharmonic board of directors, said she was glad that people showed up for the event, even though it was originally postponed.
About 100 people were in the audience.
"There's nothing like Christmas music with an orchestra," Kriner said.
Kriner said this was the philharmonic's third Christmas season.
Among the sections the Anthracite Philharmonic played was "Sleigh Ride" by Leroy Anderson, "Selections from the Nutcracker" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Silent Night" by Franz Gruber and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.
During "Our Winter Wonderland" by Paul Murtha, four members of the Schuylkill Choral Society, Chrissy Schaeffer, Ali Kline, Jeff Miller and Dave Watson, joined the philharmonic.
Kriner also noted that there were five youths playing with the Anthracite Philharmonic on Saturday, two from the Gabriel Youth Orchestra and three from local schools.
After the first song, Thomas thanked all who showed up for the concert.
"This is one last concert before the holidays and we hope you enjoy it," Thomas said.
The Anthracite Philharmonic is dedicated to the promotion and performance of orchestral music and central to its mission is its goal to provide affordable, family-friendly concerts to the people of the area.
For more information on the Anthracite Philharmonic, call Kriner at 570-628-5158 or visit its website at www.antphil.org.