The a capella group Home Free is returning to Nederland with a special Christmas Show which benefits, in part, the Nederland High School choir program.

The group, which won season four of NBC’s The Sing-Off, is set to perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26 at the Performing Arts Center, 2101 N. 18^th St., Nederland. Tickets start at $15 and are available at ticketfly.com and homefreemusic.com/tour

Renee Kloes, Nederland High School choir director, worked with Foust when he was a student and is happy to see him and Home Free come back to town.

“What a experience,” Kloes said of the professional sinigng group coming back to town. “The guys are as nice as they can be and my kids know them by name. It is like having part of the family come back home.”

Home Free’s recently released video of How Great Thou Art has been viewed more than 1 million times on the groups Youtube Channel and was shot with a backdrop of the Alps in Austria.

“It was amazing,” Foust said of the shoot. “We were wanting to do that song for a while and people always ask if we could do more gospel. Darren Rust, who produces all of our music, created a brilliant arrangement.”

Home Free was taking part in the European Country Festival and had decided to fly their view crew out for the filming. They spent a few days in the Austrian Alps and knew the scenery would fit well with the song, he said.

Looking back to the beginning of his career, Foust said he didn’t anticipate the group’s popularity.

“I never thought it would be on this scale,” he said of the 1 million video views. “I felt lucky to just make a living making music in the first place and to have an international reach is something I never considered.”

Kloes sees Foust’s success as a way to inspire her students.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve preached that sermon verbatim,” Kloes said. “Tim came from here, a small town, with a work ethic and determination.”

She also reminds students that until his junior year Foust was a high tenor but he didn’t give up.

Kloes is proud to be sponsors of the show.

“We share in the profits and they are very generous with us, probably more than with a public facility and our school district is very generous to let us do this,” she said thanking both the school district and Home Free.

Past proceeds have helped the high school choir replace major equipment such as microphones and an amplifier. The need for replacement was unexpected and the funds were very much appreciated, she said.

The late November Christmas show is a homecoming for Foust and a time to reminisce with friends.

“I really learned the bulk of my formal music knowledge at Nederland High School from Renee Kloes, the choir director there,” he said. “She taught me just about everything I know and she encourages others interested in music to stick with it. I’m living proof you can be successful in an industry that a lot of people think is a scary industry.”

Foust said the upcoming Nederland show would feature a little bit of everything fans have come to know and love them for.

“There will be regular country music as well as songs fans may remember from The Sing-Off as well as music that has been on our Youtube channel,” he said.

Mary Meaux: 409-721-2429

Twitter: @MaryMeauxPANews