For the 39th year in a row, Mammoth Cave National Park will treat the public to a free concert in the cave.

On Dec. 2, the Lindsey Wilson College Singers will perform a cappella holiday music in Rafinesque Hall, a part of the cave system.

Molly Schroer, the park’s public information officer, said that before the first Cave Sing in 1979, there was a local tradition of people playing music in the cave during the holiday season.

“So we’re continuing that tradition,” she said.

Schroer said she suspects the Cave Sing has managed to continue for so long because it’s a reflection of a local tradition that goes back well over 100 years.

“It’s a very nice tradition,” she said. “It’s a nice way to kick off the holidays.”

According to Schroer, Cave Sing participants will head to Rafinesque Hall from the park visitor entrance at 2 p.m.

A release from Mammoth Cave National Park said anyone interested in attending the concert needs to be ready to journey into the cave.

“Participants should be prepared to walk up and down a steep hill, climb 160 steps, and dress in warm layers and comfortable shoes or boots. Even though the cave air stays at a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit, wind chills in the entrance are much cooler,” the release said.

At 1 p.m., Janet Bass Smith, a pianist and former cave guide, will provide music for guests for roughly an hour with her son, saxophonist Randall Smith, in the Lodge at Mammoth Cave’s rotunda room, the release said.

Though MCNP tries to “rotate the performers” from year to year, the Lindsey Wilson College Singers have performed at previous Cave Sings, Schroer said.

“We’re glad to have them back again this year,” she said.

Gerald Chafin, conductor for the Lindsey Wilson College Singers, said he’s excited about the upcoming performance.

“We love the opportunity because it’s so different,” he said.

The acoustics in the cave are great and the performance itself draws a lot of attention from the audience each time the Lindsey Wilson College Singers perform there, Chafin said.

“In this current culture, we’re so distracted. You do a show in a cave, the audience for whatever reason, is just zeroed in,” he said.

During the performance, Chafin will conduct three groups: an ensemble consisting of soprano, alto, tenor and bass, a French horn choir and a Men’s Chorale.

Chafin said the performance will mostly be focused on Christmas music, though it will also feature the first performance of “Children’s Earth Anthem,” a song written to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary in 2016.

“This piece has been sung at like gazillions of national parks across the country, but it hasn’t been performed at Mammoth Cave,” he said.