NORWICH – The Norwich middle and high schools will hold their respective annual winter concerts this week and – in a new twist – both music departments are hoping to get the crowd involved this year.

The NHS and NMS Winter Concerts will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday and 7 p.m. Wednesday, respectively, in the high school auditorium, and both will feature an audience sing-a-long as the grand finale, according to NHS Vocal Music Teacher Mary Mayo.

“Audience members have commented over the years how much they enjoy our finale medleys,” said Mayo, who added that allowing the audience a chance to participate was an easy decision. “This one will be packed full of well-known Christmas carols.”

The high school program will open with a Mayo-led Treble Choir performance – accompanied by Robert Oehme – with an arrangement of “Song for World Peace” that will also incorporate the Catholic “Dona Nobis Pacem” and Hindu “Lead Us From Death.”

The NHS String Ensemble – led by director Allison Rehn – will follow, with performances of “Rondeau and Chaconne,” “Purcell,” “A Fifth of Beethoven” and “The Polar Express.” Other performances will feature the high school’s Madrigal Singers, singing Praetorius’ “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming” and Leontovich’s “Carol of the Bells,” the Mixed Choir, performing the third movement of Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” and the African-American spiritual “The Battle of Jericho” and the Wind Ensemble, performing Leroy Anderson’s “The Phantom Regiment” and Gustav Holst’s “First Suite in E flat.”