LAKEPORT, Calif. – This year’s Lake County Symphony Christmas Concert will feature not only the 60 piece orchestra playing traditional holiday favorites, but also vocal presentations by a number of nationally and internationally recognized artists.

The concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 16, at 3 p.m. at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Community Theatre, 275 S. Main St. It is sponsored by Clear Lake Performing Arts.

Joining the orchestra will be Shelly Trumbo-Mascari singing a medley of Christmas standards. Her recording and performing credentials include a nationally released solo album and movie trailers for Universal Pictures and NFL sporting events.

She has toured the U.S. and internationally on behalf of the U.S. Government, winning accolades along the way. In prior appearances Trumbo-Mascari has won the hearts of Lake County audiences.

Another local favorite, Carl Stewart, was chosen by Warner Brothers as a staff song writer, but also served as a judge for two years at the American Song Writers’ Festival and also sang leading roles in Carmen, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Man of La Mancha and many others.

Stewart is a true crossover artist, moving effortlessly from classical music to the country-oriented pop music favored by “Blue Collar” the local band he originated.

A graduate of Kelseyville High School, Sarah Cunningham studied with a number of nationally recognized vocal teachers before attending California State University Sacramento where she not only directed the school’s jazz ensemble, but also sang with its big bands.

She received her master’s of music degree in 2007, and returns to Lake County from Roseville for this performance, where she has thrilled music-lovers with her vocal presentations.

Another well-regarded local vocalist Walt Trumbo also will join in singing Christmas favorites with the Symphony.

The CLPA Youth Orchestra, directed by Susan Condit, will present two numbers – “Believe” from the Disney film “Polar Express” and “December Fanfare” a musical salute to the holiday season written by contemporary composer Dr. Andrew Dabczynski.

Surprise addition to this year’s program will be an opening number of “Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas” sung by an a Capella group calling themselves “The Men of Soper-Reese.” The group’s credentials have not yet been released except a note that they ‘approach their art with enthusiasm.”

John Parkinson, Symphony Conductor, has put together a diverse program that includes the famed “Christmas Concerto” written in 1690 by Arcangelo Corelli, with the notation added to the original score that it was “Made for the Night of Christmas.”

It opens with a small group called a concertina made up of violinists Andi Skelton and Eleanor Cook and cellist John Weeks, backed by the orchestra. As the program progresses the wind and percussion sections join in as they play many Christmas favorites such as Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride,” “Frosty the Snowman,” “White Christmas,” Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” and many others.

A symphony tradition, the audience sing-along, will be led once again by the vocal quartet Ear-Reverence who, in spite of their name, show proper reverence in leading the audience in singing Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus.” They are made up of Bill Bordisso, Valerie Reid, Nick Reid and Carol Cole Lewis.

Since the Christmas Concert is usually the most popular of the symphony’s season, Clear Lake Performing Arts suggest those wishing to attend get their reservations in early.

They can be made online at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by phone at 707-263-0577 or in person on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Soper-Reese box office or at the Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center on South Main Street, Lakeport.

As always youths under 18 are admitted free to the full-dress rehearsal at 11 a.m., while adults wishing to take advantage of this more casual presentation can do so for only $5.

General admission to the concert is $25 or $20 for CLPA members. A limited number of premium seats also are available for $30.