It was an evening of joyful song, music, and poetry at Sunrise Adult Training Centre’s Second Annual Christmas Concert.

The concert, which took place in West Bay’s John Gray Church Hall, featured the Sunrise Chorus and was directed by Julianne Parolsisi.

Stephanie Rattan, the MC, introduced the evening’s performance, and the Centre’s Director, Shari Smith, welcomed the guests who included many proud family members who had come to see the carollers.

Jesus Born on Christmas Day performed by the Sunrise Chorus, was a vibrant beginning, but there was much more than singing in store for the audience, and Mercedes Reyes followed by reading the poem “Jesus the Reason” by Joanna Fuchs.

One of the highlights of the evening followed, as soloists Finita Ebanks, Mercedes Reyes, John White and Jerome Rankine all joined together to sing the “Twelve Days of Christmas”- only with the words changed to include a selection of Cayman Islands goodies:  “Twelve turtle lunches, eleven hibiscus blooming, ten conch fritters frying, nine soldiers spawning, eight parrots singing, seven ladies thatching, six cat boats sailing, five mango trees, four hickatees, three ching chings, two big doves and an iguana in a plum tree.”

What could the Sunrise Chorus do, but follow that by singing the all-time Christmas favourite, “Santa Claus is Coming To Town.”

Next, everyone was invited to join in with the rousing carol, “Joy to the World”.

Reminding us all of the real reason for the season, Shari Smith told the “Christmas Story” before everyone was invited to join in the choir in singing “O Come All Ye Faithful”.

Things got a bit more up-to-date with a performance of “Jingle Bell Rock” by “The Rockers,” a group including Anthony Bodden on Keyboard, Jerome Rankine on drums, and John Paul Powery on mouth organ. Tessa Terry was both the lead singer and dancer.

Gabriella Terry read the poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”, before Rhonda Terry, Sean Gray, John White, Beckman Ebanks, Tessa Terry, Julissa Scott, Judy Burke and Josh Small all got together to perform “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.”

Everyone was invited to finish up the evening by singing “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”