RENO — Everything from African-inspired hymns to Mozart will be featured in Nevada Opera’s holiday concert this Friday at the First Methodist Church.

“We had it there last year,” Nevada Opera executive director Elizabeth Cattell said. “It’s such a wonderfully intimate venue with great acoustics.”

In addition to showcasing the talent of the youth and adult performers, Cattell discussed other reasons for the concert’s musical selections.

“We want to give a taste of traditional Christmas with Gregorian chant-style hymnals (and) we also want to show diversity in the holiday music that is out there,” Cattell said. “We want to do things to inspire, things maybe people have never heard before that will warm their night or make them think differently about what a holiday is.”

Participating in Friday’s concert will be both the adult and youth choruses. Cattell said the groups are made up of community members from third graders to senior citizens.

The adult choir began preparing for this concert two months ago after finishing its performance of "Carmina Burana." The youth choir began preparing in early fall.

Since its creation, Nevada Opera has performed 170 operas, Cattell said. Initially, Nevada Opera performances took place in the Reno Little Theater, which is Reno’s oldest community theater, established in 1935.

The Nevada Opera is in its 42nd season, having been started in 1967 by Deena and Ted Puffer. All performers in the opera company audition to participate, and many of them are former students of Puffer, who taught in the University of Nevada, Reno’s music department from 1966 to 1994.

“Many of the members who were Puffer’s students have been singing for over 30 years,” Cattell said. “There’s a tremendous amount of talent represented in our chorus.”

The First Methodist Church is located at 209 W. First St. in Reno. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for children under 18. Tickets are available by calling Nevada Opera at 786-4046. Doors open at 6:3

Program for Friday’s concert

Nevada Youth Chorus

"Ave Verum Corpus" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, arranged by Joyce Eilers

"Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano, arranged by Alan Billingsley

"Homeward Bound" by Marta Keen, arranged by Jay Althouse. Soloists - Sarah Miles and Grace Desilets

"Siyahamba" (from South African Suite), traditional South African, arranged by Henry Leck

"O Holy Night" by Adolph Adam. Soloist - Mackenzie Kirwin

"Nanita Lullaby," Spanish Carol, arranged by Rentz

"Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Helms

Nevada Opera Chorus and Youth Chorus

"It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" by Eddie Pola and George Wyle, arranged by Hawley Ades

Nevada Opera Chorus

"African Noel," arranged by Andre J. Thomas. Jarod Sorum - Percussion

"The Christmas Song" by Mel Torme and Robert Wells

"Baby It’s Cold Outside" by Frank Loesser. Soloists - Susan Benefield and Steven Meyer

"The Snow," by Edward Elgar

"Sleigh Ride," by Mitchell Parish and Leroy Anderson

The women of Nevada Opera

"Ave Maria," by Franz Biebl

The men of Nevada Opera

"Carol of the Bells," by Peter J. Wilhousky and M. Leontovich

"Still, Still, Still," Austrian carol, arranged by Norman Luboff

"Christmas Cantata," by Daniel Pinkham. Michael Lynch - organ, Paul Lenz - trumpet, Larry Machado - trumpet, Leonard Neidhold - trombone, Andrew Williams - trombone

0 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m.