Kathy Mattea Christmas Concert Coming Dec. 3

Popular singer/songwriter Kathy Mattea continues a long-standing and successful holiday tour tradition when she brings her spiritual Christmas music program, Songs and the Season to The Clayton Center on Friday, Dec. 3.

The show features Mattea and her band of stellar musicians in an unplugged, acoustic format and draws material from her Grammy Award-winning Good News holiday album and the acclaimed follow-up Joy for Christmas Day. Mattea also will perform a sampling of her best-loved signature songs, including “Love at the Five and Dime,” “18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses,” “455 Rocket,” and “Where’ve You Been?” and songs from her latest release, COAL.

Twice named Female Vocalist of the Year by the Country Music Association, Mattea carved out a role for herself in the late 1980s and 1990s as a sensitive yet energetic artist, at ease both with country tradition and free-ranging innovation. The West Virginia native won her first Grammy in 1990, earning the Best Female Country Vocal Performance award for her moving “Where’ve You Been?” which was co-written by husband Jon Vezner.

For more than 20 years, Mattea has comfortably crossed the boundaries of country, folk and gospel music. She has recorded close to 30 Top 40 country hits, five gold albums and a platinum-selling greatest hits compilation. Her most recent CD, Coal, was nominated for Traditional Folk Album of the Year at the 2008 Grammy Awards and has been hailed as a “stunning new work of classic American music.”

Songs and the Season displays Mattea’s natural musical flexibility and hard-won artistic integrity. Whether she’s adapting the classic “Angels We Have Heard On High” or arranging “There’s Still My Joy,” a contribution from award-winning writers Melissa Manchester and Beth Nielsen-Chapman, she brings joy and a natural, unforced eclecticism to this holiday musical experience.

“We are thrilled that Kathy Mattea is returning to Clayton with her holiday show,” Heidi Stump, executive director of The Clayton Center, said. “This is a wonderful way for our audience to kick-off their holiday celebrations.”

All shows in the 2010-2011 Palladian Series begin at 8 p.m. in the renovated and historic 600-seat auditorium at 111 E. Second St. in downtown Clayton, located about 15 miles east of Raleigh.

Tickets for the 8 p.m. show are $29 and can be purchased by phone at 919-553-1737, at The Clayton Center Box Office from 10 a.m. until noon and from 1 until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at www.theclaytoncenter.com