LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Lake County Symphony Association – like so many others – has had a rough year due to COVID-19.

First, the annual June Wine Fest, the major fundraiser for the LCSA, was canceled just as Wine Club members were beginning to plan it.

The Mother’s Day Concert was the next casualty. Then, all the concerts for the year.

Music lessons for beginners and the LCSA Youth Orchestra also had to be canceled; they will start again once it is safe to do so, said Sue Condit, conductor of the youth orchestra.

Board members have continued to meet via Zoom to work on ideas for keeping things afloat and to plan how to satisfy the concerns of members and advertisers.

LCSA members and supporters were asked to donate the money they had already spent for this year’s concerts, and many did just that. Several even added additional amounts to their donation or membership renewal.

“The members really came through for us,” said Lynne Bruner, LCSA treasurer. “People are stepping up and being very generous. We are so grateful for their support. Without it, I don’t know where we’d be.”

Donations are always appreciated, said Bruner, who recommended folks consider giving gift memberships. “This can be done easily by going to our website and it’s an additional way to show support for our symphony.”

Advertisers, another treasured financial resource needed to keep the LCSA strong, have been assured that their ads would be placed in the concert program for the entire year of 2021, once live performances resume.

As an additional “thank you” to advertisers, the LCSA is currently in the process of listing all the display ads on the LCSA web site with a link provided to each advertiser’s web site. This will guarantee a full year’s coverage for ads, even if a concert is canceled.

One way the LCSA was able to reduce some expenses this past year was by foregoing the costs of mass printing and mailing of its newsletter, “The Overture.” Instead, it was emailed to all members and was also made available on the LCSA website for all to view.

The number of newsletters for the year was reduced to one – the fall issue – instead of the usual three, since there was less news to report due to cancellations of events and concerts.

Recent board meetings have included discussions on ways to keep music fans supplied with their “symphony fix,” and online video performances are one way to do that.

Although some Lake County Symphony musicians have previously been available on YouTube, tech-savvy LCSA members have added more video performances in the past several months to meet the current reality.

So, while there won’t be another sold-out Christmas Concert for all to attend at the Soper Reese Theatre this year, and there won’t be the usual “audience sing-along” finale, there are performances available online from previous concerts that will more than meet the needs of those of us who really need to hear their favorite Christmas tunes.

You will still be able to listen to talented vocalists sing holiday favorites with our top-notch symphony.

One of those talented vocalists is prolific entertainer Jude Darrin singing “Mary Did You Know?” from the 2019 Holiday Concert with a custom arrangement by family member, Camm Linden, who also happens to be the new LCSA board president and the energy behind the YouTube expansion.

Linden, a semi-retired music pro from the motion picture industry and a member of the symphony, moved into the board presidency after Ed Bublitz abruptly resigned this position. (For more details on this story, view the Overtures Newsletter on the LCSA website.)

Other available holiday videos show the Lake County Symphony playing classic holiday favorites, including “Let It Snow,” “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “A Cowboy Christmas.”

There is a long list of nonholiday performances available too. These feature the Lake County Symphony, individual musicians, the Youth Orchestra and the local fiddlers’ group that several symphony members perform with.

Want to hear Tchaikovsky’s Concerto #1, in B flat? Just click on Elizabeth MacDougall and watch her powerful performance in the LCSA 2017 LCSA November concert. Or, if you get goosebumps listening to great cello music, click on the videos featuring symphony member and music teacher Clovice A. Lewis Jr.

Then, there is the trumpet playing of Gary Miller, a standout in the Baroque Concert along with Oboist Beth Aiken. There is a lot to choose from, including some fine fiddling and jamming that will make some want to get up and dance.

To view, go to the LCSA web site and click on the link for Lake County Symphony Musicians Channel. You can also go directly to YouTube and search for “LC Symphony Musicians.”

The board is also considering putting on live, virtual concerts.

“I have been in contact with Dr. Pace at the health department to see how we might go about having a live performance that could be recorded or streamed live,” said Linden. “I think it’s very doable and would be okayed with proper safeguards. Ultimately, it will be up to the musicians involved and their comfort level. If we can make this happen, it would likely consist of a smaller group of musicians and not include wind instruments. We are exploring all options.”

The LCSA is cautiously optimistic that it will be possible for concerts and other activities to resume in the coming year.

Please continue to check the website periodically for updates. New information will be posted there as it becomes known.

Debra Fredrickson is with the Lake County Symphony Association.