The Pacific Harp Ensemble performed a host of Christmas tunes against a backdrop of tinsel, Christmas lights and holiday décor Wednesday afternoon in Crowell Hall.

The ensemble’s performance marked the 10th and final showcase for this semester’s Music at Noon series. Harpists Keryn Soulden, Gretchen Sheetz, Elizabeth Hagberg and Evelyn-Doris Sanchez played a combination of Christmas and classical music under the direction of Mindy Ball, professional harpist and founder and director of the Pacific Harp Ensemble.

The concert included Christmas classics such as “Joy To The World,” “O Holy Night” and “Angels We Have Heard On High.”

“As a musician during Christmastime, it was nice to sit back and enjoy a relaxing concert instead of performing all the time,” said Philip Glenn, a music education major.

A special performance of “Carol of the Bells” featured Kevin Brown on the glockenspiel. Other pieces included a medley of “Silent Night” and “Ariadne auf Naxos” by Richard Strauss and “Evening Prayer” from the opera “Hansel and Gretel.”

The concert ended with the Russian dance piece, “Trepak” from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” The harpists each played a different part in order to imitate the full orchestra sound of the original arrangement.

“They played well as an ensemble which is difficult on a solo instrument like the harp,” said David Wolfe, a junior music performance major. “You can tell they’ve worked really hard and they’ve practiced a lot.”

Hagberg seemed to think the hard work paid off too.

“We worked hard. I think it went well,” Hagberg said. “Our practices are very disciplined. [Ball] expects us to be right there every time. She pushes us to do our best every time, whether rehearsing or performing.”