AURELIUS - Since the start of the holiday season, Bass Pro Shop has been giving its visitors a complete winter wonderland.

On Wednesday, while Santa and his elves were listening to Christmas wishes and children were making out their lists and having their pictures taken with the big man, Bass Pro welcomed another Christmas attraction.

In front of a large roaring fire, the Moravia sixth grade chorus took center stage, serenading friends, family and visitors with a bit of Christmas cheer and an array of carols.

“I thought it would be a wonderful opportunity for them,” said Denise Abbattista, vocal music teacher for Moravia middle and elementary schools. “I thought it would be great for us to come here and sing in front of the fire.”

Many of her students felt the same.

“I thought it was really special,” Laken Greenwood, 11, said. “Especially to be here singing with all my friends. I thought it was a lot of fun.”

Abbattista has been working with her group of 30 singers for the past two months, getting them ready for the Christmas season.

She said that generally there are three choral concerts the children perform in, but this holiday season has been busy for her and the chorus.

The groups, along with performing their own school Christmas concert, have also made appearances at events such as Christmas in Moravia, the Moravia nursing home and Bass Pro Shop.

Abbattista believes this season has been a wonderful and unique opportunity for the students to hone their burgeoning vocal skills.

“I think doing things like this builds a sense of unity in the group,” Abbattista said. “And every chance they get to sing is only going to help make them better.”

The group ran through a number of Christmas classics before going on to several solo performances. Kenna Hartmann, 11, took vocal duties on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”.

“I was a little nervous at first,” Hartmann said. “But then not really. I felt good to see so many people here. It feels good to sing for other people.”

After the solo spots, the group led their audience through a group sing-a-long of classics like “Deck the Halls” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.”

“I thought it was really good,” Dylan Richards, 12, said of Wednesday's performance.

“It is really nice to get to sing for so many people, especially being here and seeing all the people that were here.”

“I'm really proud of all of them,” mother Michele Palmer said of her daughter Lindsey Lupo, 12, and the rest of the chorus.