Outfitted in blazers and colored scarves, Volare singers hum tunes as they walk to the Los Altos Community Center. There, an audience of Los Altos community seniors awaits a dose of holiday cheer.

As fall winds down and the holiday season approaches, Los Altos High School’s top choir, Volare, steps outside the classroom to bring carols into the community. The group will sing at local events until the semester ends, offering holiday warmth.

Holiday caroling has been a choir tradition since before choir director Lauren Diez started teaching at LAHS. Performing at various community events such as nonprofit dinners and for nearby schools — some of which donate back to the program — it’s become a Volare staple.

“We seem to get more people who ask us to come sing for them every year,” Diez said.

This year, Volare has eight total performances, including at a Mountain View Rotary dinner, the Los Altos Tree Celebration, Egan Junior High School, Almond Elementary School and a real estate event. The choir started their busy off-campus caroling schedule Nov. 19 at a senior luncheon in the community center. This December, they have seven more scheduled.

“People love hearing holiday music, and they’re very generous around the [season],” Diez said. “There’s lightheartedness with holiday music.”

In preparation for the busy December schedule, Volare started learning the holiday set list as early as September. Their set features classic seasonal tunes, including Christmas and Hanukkah music. Some of the songs will also be featured in choir’s annual winter concert, scheduled for Monday, Dec. 15.

“It’s a pretty heavy load,” senior Avni Rajagopal said. “We’re busy this time of year learning all the songs, but once we have them down, we can bring them to so many different events.”

Nonetheless, junior Mazie Reidy said she and many students enjoyed learning the new music.

“The nature of carols is catchy, and I think there’s something about holiday music that’s just so warm,” Mazie said. “The holiday feeling is very prominent with what we’re singing, and we all feel the warmth of it when we’re rehearsing.”

Since popular Christmas music is less technical than their concert repertoire, Diez said that their set invites their audience, ranging from senior residents to elementary school students, to sing along. Furthermore, Diez said performing in front of unfamiliar crowds at new locations is a major learning opportunity for Volare.

“They get more comfortable and confident,” Diez said. “They learn stage presence, and you can see them start to have more fun with it and get the audience involved.”

For senior Jason Byrne, it’s also a chance to see how music affects an audience. 

“It’s a privilege to get to sing for different groups around the community,” Jason said. “Hearing all of our harmonies come together is so beautiful.”

With their blue concert blazers and holiday scarves, Volare’s next caroling performance is their biggest of the season: the annual Los Altos Tree Celebration in Los Altos Downtown. The free holiday celebration, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5 at 6 p.m., will be accompanied by Santa and is open to all. 

“I think we could all use a bit of holiday cheer,” Mazie said.