Earnie Emery of Lower Lake was high bidder for the auction of the conductor's baton at the Lake County Symphony's Mothers Day concert. He used it to lead the 70-piece orchestra in playing John Phillips Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – The largest slate of musicians in the 32-year history of the Lake County Symphony crowded the stage of the Marge Alakszay auditorium at Lakeside Unified School District's Lakeport campus on Mother's Day to deliver a rousing pops concert.

Assisted by a backdrop of acoustic sound shells the 70 skilled performers at times threatened to blow the walls out of the hall.

The concert was presented under the auspices of Clear Lake Performing Arts, the county's fine-music organization.

Entitled "Curtain Up" the program featured popular contemporary music from stage and screen, with themes ranging from 1939's "Wizard of Oz" to nearly-current hits from such movies as "Spider-Man" and "Pirates of the Caribbean."

Music Director and Orchestra Conductor John Parkinson had divided his program into different genres opening with a medley of numbers from such Broadway hits as"Annie Get Your Gun," "Phantom of the Opera," "Mame" and others.

Another category, called "Go West," had music from westerns, featuring familiar themes from "The Magnificent Seven" and the eerie and unforgettable background music from such spaghetti westerns as Clint Eastwood's "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" and "Hang 'em high."

The orchestra featured a full lineup of percussion instruments whose players received special acknowledgment from Parkinson for their precise participation in playing a Concert Suite from the Kevin Costner movie "Dances with Wolves" while bassoonist Ann Hubbard won a tip of the baton following her role in playing a number from "Hook."

Another music category involved pirates – specifically "Pirates of the Caribbean" – where some of the orchestra members saluted Parkinson, and won audience applause, by donning pirate hats.

Following intermission, where members of the CLPA Auxiliary provided the audience with home-baked cookies and juices, the CLPA Youth Orchestra took the stage.

Guest conductor Eleanor Cook, a former CLPA scholarship recipient and symphony member in her debut conducting performance, led her dozen young musicians in playing pleasing versions of academy award-winning tracks from the motion pictures "Pocahontas" and "Titanic," both perfect choices for Mother's Day.

Another event, which threatens to become an annual fixture at the Spring Concert, is the auction of the conductor's baton, with the winner assuming the right to ascend the podium and conduct the orchestra in playing John Phillips Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever."

Local little theater star Bert Hutt served as auctioneer, and after spirited bidding managed to coax a bid of $1,000 from Lower Lake music lover Earnie Emery. The revenue will be used to help fund CLPA youth music activities.

Emery prepped the audience by telling them that he had marched to the Sousa music as an Army Air Corps cadet in 1942, and it had inspired him to become a better officer.

He then used his newly-won baton to lead the symphony through a rousing rendition of the great, patriotic number, which resulted in many members of the audience clapping along in rhythm.

No musical tribute to Hollywood would be complete without selections from John Williams, one of its most prolific composers and, in fact, the concert featured compositions in three of the different genres chosen by Parkinson.

First was the music from "Hook" and in the second half of the program came selections from his "Superman Returns," and "Star Wars." These were interspersed with a series of themes from the James Bond movies, "Spider Man" and movie and television tracks from "Star Trek."

Baton-winner Emery who, along with his wife Caroline, is practically a fine music groupie, having listened to orchestras in such cities as London, Berlin, Florence, Vienna and many others, said that in his opinion the Lake County Symphony matches anything he's ever seen or heard in his travels. "I only hope the people of Lake County realize what a treasure we have here" he said. "The musicians in our symphony could hold up their heads in any orchestra in any major city in the world."

The CLPA Youth Orchestra will present its Spring Concert on Sunday, June 13 at the Friendship Hall of the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The next CLPA sponsored event will be its annual Lake County Home Wine Makers Festival on Saturday, June 26, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Lakeport's Library Park.

The event is the group's major yearly fund-raiser.