Dec. 10 concert to feature holiday songs, local soprano Jo Ellen Miller HOLMDEL - The third annual benefit concert of the Chamber Music Players of the New Jersey State Youth Orchestra (NJSYO) will take place Dec. 10 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Holmdel. The concert will benefit Little Lambs School, which is housed in Good Shepherd Church. In keeping with the season, this year's program will feature Christmas music and include selections from Handel's "Messiah" and Mozart's "Exultate Jubilate." Soprano Jo Ellen Miller, a Middletown native, will perform as a special guest soloist. The Chamber Music Players, which consists of high school string players, has been in existence since the fall of 2004. Concerts typically include works for chamber orchestra, small ensembles and soloists. The conductor of the players is Wayne S. Arndt, an instructor in cello at Georgian Court University. He is principal cellist with the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra and performs with the Orchestra of Saint Peter-by-the-Sea, the Monmouth University Chorus, the Rose Trio, and the Corialis Trio. He has appeared with Ray Charles and Marvin Hamlisch. Miller was soprano soloist in last year's "Messiah" with the Monmouth Civic Chorus at the Count Basie Theater. She spent the last two summers as a Tanglewood Music Center Vocal Fellow, where she coached with Metropolitan Opera Maestro James Levine on scenes from "Don Giovanni." She participated in Sarasota Opera's young artist program, covering the roles of Barbarina in "Le nozze di Figaro" and Musetta in "La Bohme." Recently she sang with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops as soloist in Bernstein on Broadway. The relationship between the NJSYO Chamber Music Players and Good Shepherd comes as a result of Good Shepherd's having hosted the NJSYO String Camp for the past three summers. As a thank you to Good Shepherd for the use of its facilities, the NJSYO has performed in these concerts annually for the benefit of Little Lambs School. The NJSYO is an orchestra open to young musicians, especially string players, of all abilities by audition in Monmouth County. The NJSYO Chamber Music Players will perform in concert on Dec. 10 at 3 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, 112 Middletown Road, Holmdel, near the corner of Crawford Corner Road. Admission is free; there will be a freewill offering. Refreshments will be served following the concert. For further information, call the Good Shepherd church office (732) 842-4596.