“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”

Those are the exuberant words of Buddy the Elf, and what better way to welcome the Christmas season than with Christmas music.

To make things even more joyful, set those tunes to swing music and you will then usher in a “Ringin’, Swingin’ Christmas!”

That is exactly what the Natchez Festival of Music will be presenting at this year’s Christmas Cabaret.

Some of your favorite old tunes along with new ones will fill the air with “swing” as our singers and band liven the evening with their special brand of entertainment.

Our singers include Maryann Kyle, Jessica Medoff and David Walker. All three of those singers have performed numerous times with the Natchez Festival of Music and are known for their superlative talents.

Maryann Kyle is a professor and graduate studies chair at the University of Mobile and leads the teacher fellowship program at the International Performing Arts Institute in Germany. She has extensive experience teaching, coaching and performing many genres of music.

Jessica Medoff holds two degrees in classical musical performance and has been lauded for her diversity. She is continually engaged in an impressive array of roles, both comedic and dramatic, with performing arts companies and producers spanning film, television, theatre and opera.

David Walker most recently entertained us as Nat “King” Cole in the Natchez Festival of Music/Natchez Little Theatre production of “Unforgettable.” He is a music major at the University of Southern Mississippi and has had much musical theater experience.

David also appeared in the Mississippi Bicentennial Concert and in our own festival’s presentations of “Mississippi to Motown” and “A Motown Christmas.”

Our swing band includes Lowery Hicks, Andy Gilstrap, Ryan Raziano, Hal Kolodny, Tom Howells and Chris Werle. They are led by the incomparable Joseph Britain, the composer and coordinator of the show.

The Christmas Cabaret will be Friday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Natchez Community Center. Tickets are $40, or you may reserve a table for 10 for $350.

Tickets are available at natchezfestivalofmusic.com, or by calling 601-807-4442.

For those who reserve tables, we invite you to come to the Community Center between the hours of 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. to decorate your table. Winner of the table-decorating contest will receive two tickets to each of our Main Stage events during the Festival in May.

If you have not reserved a private table, all public tables will be decorated with poinsettias, which will be for sale following the show.

You may also bring whatever food you wish to enjoy during the show and there will be a cash bar available. We look forward to seeing you at “A Ringin’, Swingin’ Christmas” for a swingin’ good time!

Marla Toman is special events coordinator for Natchez Festival of Music.