Watch Palatine High School jazz choir sing at the White House

For the third time during Barack Obama's presidency - but the very first time for the current batch of students - Palatine High School's vocal jazz ensemble Midnight Blues performed for visitors taking holiday tours of the White House Sunday.

While a thrill for the teen singers themselves, it was also another sweet memory for choir director Steve Sivak from his final year of teaching before retirement next spring.

"It's exciting," Sivak said. "It makes it so worthwhile. I've had a great career and a lot of great experiences."

The group of 29 students sang in the foyer of the White House, opposite the Blue Room where the Christmas tree is displayed.

Their audience consisted of the guests of White House administrators and Washington-based lawmakers coming and going on their tours of the holiday-decorated mansion over a nearly two-hour period.

"It's something so amazing to travel around with people and make beautiful music," said junior Jessica Deramos, who is in her first year of the ensemble and her third year in choir. "Getting a chance to be in the White House and perform for people is amazing."

Sivak said the performance was arranged as a pair of one-hour segments. Though holiday standards were the primary reason for their appearance, they also incorporated such other songs as "America the Beautiful," "The Star-Spangled Banner," the World War II-era "I'll Be Seeing You," and "Circle of Life" from "The Lion King."

Though the tip that led the White House to Sivak's vocal group may have come from his cousin, a political science graduate who campaigned for Obama in 2008, Midnight Blues had to send plenty of samples of its ability before the group was accepted, he said.

The president could not attend the group's first two performances at the White House, but Sivak sent him an email before this year's engagement pointing out that this would be another opportunity before they both "left office."

Security was a particular issue with this year's trip, with members of the group not being allowed to publicize it through social media until afterward. For his previous visits, Sivak said, his students even gave pre-event performances on local TV.

While he found the rooms at the White House were not as large as he'd previously imagined, Sivak said any first visit to the president's residence definitely impresses.

"It was just the thrill of being there," he said. "It's beautiful inside there."

The group's trip to Washington, D.C., is also intended to include some other, more public performances on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and at the city's Hard Rock Cafe.

"It means a lot to be able to do this," Sivak said, noting that the group will also be traveling to New York in the spring. "We all feel very honored and happy to have it all come to fruition."

Sivak taught in Des Plaines Elementary School District 62 before moving to Palatine High School 15 years ago.

In the different teaching environment of an elementary district in the late 20th century, Sivak said he had more time for other professional performance endeavors than he has at the high school. He hopes to return to some of those activities and shows again in retirement.

Sivak's presence at Palatine High School, however, will be missed, said Greg Weiss, whose son is a senior in the jazz ensemble.

"The program teaches (students) to express themselves and strive for excellence," he said. "It's a great creative outlet for them all. They get to expand their high school experiences way beyond the classroom, and it's really exciting to see them do all that."

• Daily Herald staff writer Lauren Rohr contributed to this report.