PORTSMOUTH — Local residents celebrated holiday cheer in song Friday night when the Newport Navy Choristers performed a benefit concert for the Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm at St. Barnabas Church.

The student-run farm, at Cloverbud Ranch on Jepson Lane, is an agricultural education project of Eastern R.I. Conservation District and Portsmouth Middle School. All proceeds from the “Christmas in Song” concert went to that project.

The Navy Choristers is a non-profit organization that has raised more than $425,000 to benefit local nonprofit groups. Its music director is Lori McDowell and John Allen accompanies the group on piano.

The group started the concert with lesser-known Christmas songs such as “Angel’s Carol,” “Candlelight Canon” and “Glory on a Christmas Morn,”while its second set brought out the familiar hits — “White Christmas,” “Sleigh Ride,” and an audience-participation rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas.”

The show ended with “Navy Hymn,” to honor members of the Armed Forced.

Also performing Friday night was Portsmouth Middle School Tri-M, made up of selected vocalists under the direction of Dorene Phillips, with Xiaotong Zhu accompanying them on piano. They performed “Simple Gifts,” “Believe” (from “The Polar Express”), and “Jazzy Jingle Bells.”