UW-Eau Claire senior and singing statesman Kyle Gostomski has been belting with campus choirs for four years.But on the last song of Eau Claire’s annual holiday concert, something special happens, he said.

A legion of band, orchestra and choir students 500 strong combine on the back wall of Zorn arena for a 15-minute long holiday medley composed
expressly for Eau Claire.

As a freshman, Gostomski said he was buried in his sheet music, but each year he performs, he’s able to lift his eyes a little more to see the audience.
“It’s really powerful to see all those people all performing the same piece of music,” Gostomski said. “And it’s great to see all those people valuing your time and effort.”

The UW-Eau Claire Foundation will put on the 39th annual Holiday concert at 2 and 5 p.m. Dec. 8 at Zorn arena.
Gary Schwartzhoff, Eau Claire professor of music, will conduct the medley finale on Sunday. Eau Claire professors take turns conducting the
final piece.

“The concert is the university’s gift to the community,” Schwartzhoff said. “It’s our largest production of the year and may well be the only time you can hear all of the performers.”

Those performers are: Concert Choir, Singing Statesmen, Women’s Concert Chorale, Symphonic Choir, Wind Symphony, University Symphony Orchestra and Women’s Chorus.
But Sunday’s concert isn’t just about music. The foundation holds a Give-a-Kid-a-Book drive, where concert-goers are encouraged to bring new or gently used books which are donated to the L.E. Phillips public library.

Robin Leary, the assistant secretary of the foundation, has been planning the project for 29 years.
“It’s really grown in the time I’ve been here,” Leary said. “There are an amazing number of students performing and it’s great for the community members. Everyone is in the holiday frame of mind.”

Gostomski said the holiday concert is a rite of passage for freshmen music students. It’s a time for all music students to work toward a common goal.
Each year, vocal music students gather snow or shine after Sunday morning rehearsal for the Hastings Bowl, an annual pickup football match.

“The first big snowstorm always seems to fall on the day of the concert,” Gostomski said. “We do the Hastings Bowl regardless of the weather.”

Gostomski will graduate next winter, but won’t be singing in the Statesmen next fall. He said he’ll miss being onstage next year at the holiday concert.

“The concert is one thing that remains constant,” Gostomski said. “It will be weird not to be up there next year when you’ve been doing it your whole college career. This year has been a year of lasts.”

Holiday concert tickets are on sale now, but Gostomski said it’s been sold out the last four years.