Show choirs have been around for several hundred years but only recently have they become mainstream successes, thanks in part to films like the “High School Musical” series and Fox’s hit television show “Glee,” which has triggered a craze for group choral performance.

Westlake High School’s choral director Alan Rose has been doing this for years and is celebrating 25 years on the job. Rose has attained a beloved reverence among the student body akin to that of the fictional Glenn Holland, played by Richard Dreyfuss in the film “Mr. Holland’s Opus.” Westlake’s holiday concert, “A Holiday to Remember,” was last week at Newbury Park High School’s Performing Arts Center while its own new facility is being built.

Rose traditionally structures his concerts in two sections. In the first half, the various choral groups perform in the “classic” format—formally dressed and standing on risers. In the second half, the show choir takes over in a series of individually choreographed, highly entertaining routines.

Newer compositions by accomplished contemporary composers and arrangers marked the first half. Each group sang three songs, ranging from reverential sacred numbers to contemporary novelties with a twist.

The Freshmen Chorus (which Rose calls “my babies”) featured “One Child,” a lush, rich song that’s become a standard in current-day Christmas literature. A highlight from the Mixed Chorale’s set was the deliciously wicked “Twelve Days After Christmas,” in which we learn what happened to the celebrated exotic gifts after the holiday season ended. (The pear tree was torched, the French hens became chicken soup, and the five golden rings turned green.)

The Men’s Ensemble’s set included a joyous Christmas spiritual with a Caribbean flavor titled “Jamaican Noel.” The Women’s Chorale, ably led by recent Pepperdine graduate Sierra High, featured a Hanukkah song, “Light the Candles.” White gowns were worn by most members of the chorale, but nine members, representing the Hanukkah menorah, wore blue gowns and held candles.

The Vocal Ensemble, which closed the first act, featured the uproarious “Jumble Bells,” which turned the venerable “Jingle Bells” topsy-turvy, including a section sung in Pig Latin (“Ingle-jay, ells-bay”) and Spike Jones-inspired sound effects.

Their final offering was “Christmas Every Day,” a marvelous original number written by Richard Carpenter, whose two children, Mindi and Colin, are in the choir. A talented vocalist with a soaring voice, Mindi sang the solo with her proud papa accompanying her on the piano. At intermission, Carpenter told me he’s planning a recording of the song.

The second half began with an atmospheric instrumental arrangement of “Silent Night,” accompanied by dry ice smoke and lighting effects. The next set, by the 12-member group “A Class Act,” featured razzle-dazzle production numbers, frequent costume changes and extensive choreography. Baby boomers might recall these kinds of productions from network television variety shows in the ’60s.

The final section, featuring an expanded group, included more familiar holiday songs (“Rudolph” and “Jingle Bell Rock” among them) dressed up with hat-and-cane-style dance arrangements, with choreography by Valerie Gardhouse. The show closed with the combined choirs filling up the stage with Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus,” a tradition in Westlake’s holiday concerts.

Introducing the concert, Alan Rose promised to put a smile on everyone’s face. He succeeded not only in doing just that, but also in continuing to instill the joy of performing in countless high school teens. For parents and students alike, it was indeed “A Holiday to Remember.”