LAKEPORT, Calif. – This year’s Mothers’ Day concert by the Lake County Symphony features both patriotic and traditional American music familiar to most of us, under the talented direction of conductor John Parkinson.

The concert takes place on Sunday, May 14 – Mother’s Day – at 3 p.m. at Lakeport’s Soper Reese Theater and showcases the works of some of our most beloved and prolific composers, many who were born near the turn of the 20th century, including Irving Berlin, George M Cohan, John Philip Sousa, Leroy Anderson, Stephen Foster and George Gershwin.

As is traditional, the Lake County Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sue Condit, will introduce the concert with two selections.

The first, “Tango Expressivo” is by Matt Turner. The second, “Clinch Mountain Backstep” is an Appalachian folk song arranged for orchestra by Larry Moore.

The young musicians will then surrender the stage to the full Symphony, who will open with a medley of patriotic tunes entitled “From Sea to Shining Sea” by Samuel Ward, followed by works of George Gershwin, George Cohan, Stephen Foster and Aaron Copland.

Traditional Irish and early American selections are also on the list for those who like toe-tapping fiddle music like Leroy Anderson’s “Chicken Reel” and “Horse and Buggy,” along with traditional Irish tunes like “Donegal Reel” and the “Star of the County Down.”

The great American West is featured with a medley of music from popular movie westerns, “The Magnificent Seven,” “The Good the Bad and the Ugly,” and “Hang ‘em High.”

Also not to be missed is an energetic rendition of “Hoe-Down” from Aaron Copland’s 1943 Ballet, “Rodeo” which was drawn from the American Southwest tradition of the afternoon rodeo. In the “Hoe-Down” you will hear themes from the fiddle tunes “Bonaparte” and “McLeod’s Reel.”

The concert will end with Irving Berlin’s heartfelt tribute to his adopted country “God Bless America.”

The annual Mothers’ Day Symphony concert is a sellout nearly every year and LCSA members are urged to get in their reservations soon on-line at www.soperreesetheatre.com or by phone at 707-263-0577.

Tickets are $25 for general admission, or $30 for premium reserved. Members receive a $5 discount in both categories.

In order to encourage greater youth participation, an open rehearsal concert is held at 11 a.m., open to young people under age 18 at no charge; for others there is a modest admission fee of $5.

The Soper Reese Theatre is located at 275 S. Main St., Lakeport.