Our annual Christmas concert will be presented on Sunday, December 11 at the Youkey Theatre at The Lakeland Center. Doors open at 1:15, pre-show at 1:45, and the band concert begins at 2:30.

The concert features carols and other Christmas music in many different settings — from traditional to pop to jazz to Latin to Sousa (??) to movie western (???) — something for everyone. And the Grinch.

The pre-show will feature two treats. First, we’ll have the Licorice Sticks, a clarinet choir made up of members of the Band’s clarinet section. They perform holiday and other festive music at the Lakeland hospital and other venues. Second, The Fabulous Lady Z returns to our stage. Lady Z is a regular in the Lakeland music scene, as a solo vocalist and with groups including the Living” Large Jazz Duo, The Original Emotions, and the Memto Jazz/Blues/Standards Duo. Lady Z and singer Ken Brady will also join us in the concert.

Join us for traditional favorites and arrangements with a kick. Plus a chance for your kids and grandkids to join us on stage to direct the band!

We hope to see you there.

Our concert is dedicated to the memory of Ray Vaguener, a man of many talents, who played saxophone, flute and clarinet with the band and the Music Ambassadors for many years. We will miss him.