The sounds of the holidays will fill a Belmont Shore church on Sunday as the nonprofit Community Action Team (CAT), led by Justin Rudd, hosts a free Christmas concert featuring a 26-piece brass, percussion and harp ensemble.

The 90-minute “Joy to the World” concert will feature the Southern California Brass Consortium and a host committee consisting of Congressman Alan Lowenthal, Assemblyman Patrick O’Donnell, Supervisor Don Knabe, Mayor Robert Garcia, Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, every seated councilmember, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna, City Auditor Laura Doud and more than 30 other influential Long Beach residents.

While the concert is free, CAT is asking that attendees bring peanut butter, breakfast cereal, boxes of macaroni and cheese, and/or canned fruit that will be donated to the Long Beach AIDS Food Store food bank, or toys and treats for shelter dogs/cats for CAT’s Operation Santa Paws.

Concertgoers can also attend a $5 post-performance reception in the church’s fellowship to meet the performers and taste cookie entries from the Long Beach Christmas Cookie Contest. The cookies will be judged during the concert by Los Angeles Times Food Editor Russ Parsons, Miss Long Beach, Miss Southern California Cities, and Santa Claus.

“I’ve always wanted to give the community a BIG, amazing, free Christmas Concert, and here it is,” Rudd said in a statement. “Twenty-six professional instrumentalists will make this a holiday event to remember. And, for just $5, guests are invited to the optional tasting reception for the Long Beach Christmas Cookie Contest immediately following the concert, and they can meet the performers there.”

The “Joy to the World” concert will take place Sunday at 5:00PM at Bay Shore Church, located at 5100 E. The Toledo at Granada Avenue. Doors open at 4:30PM, and all seats are general admission.

{FG_GEOMAP [33.7630419,-118.13393159999998] FG_GEOMAP}