Jordin Sparks, Celtic Woman, Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau to Join National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 3rd

Jordin Sparks, Celtic Woman, Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau to Join National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony Dec. 3rd

Watch Live Online at www.thenationaltree.org December 3rd at 5pm EST/ 2pm PST Or On Public Television Beginning December 4th

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Park Service and the National Park Foundation announced that Jordin Sparks, Celtic Woman, Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau will perform at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2009. They will join previously announced entertainers Sheryl Crow, Common and Ray LaMontagne for the annual holiday event, which will be streamed live at www.thenationaltree.org on Dec. 3rd at 5:00pm EST/2:00pm PST, and will be broadcast nationwide beginning Dec. 4th, on public broadcasting stations in partnership with WETA Washington, D.C., the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital (check local listings).

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090630/DC40408LOGO )

Jordin Sparks is a Grammy-nominated pop star and the 2007 winner of American Idol. Her platinum debut album spawned three Top 5 hits on Billboard's Pop singles chart, and earned her an American Music Award and two MTV Video Music Award nominations. This summer she released her sophomore album "Battlefield."

Celtic Woman, a group comprised of four Irish vocalists and one Celtic violinist, describe themselves as "putting a modern twist on a Celtic sound." The group has released four PBS TV specials with companion CDs/DVDs, each product achieving #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart. They have also performed nine US tours for roughly one million concert-goers.

Jazz saxophonist Joshua Redman, who has been nominated for two Grammys and has garnered top honors in Jazz Times, The Village Voice and Rolling Stone, will perform a duet with Grammy-nominated and acclaimed jazz pianist Brad Mehldau.

The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is presented by the National Park Foundation and National Park Service. Underwriters Laboratories is the premier sponsor of the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony 2009. Alex Coletti Productions will produce the ceremony. Additional support comes from General Electric, Guest Services Inc., Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Washington, D.C., Hudler Carolina Tree Farms, Santa's Best, the W Hotel Washington, and the Willard InterContinental Washington, D.C.

For more information visit www.thenationaltree.org.

For Broadcast Inquiries please contact Suzanne Masri, WETA, (703) 998-2686 smasri@weta.org

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System and its 392 National Park sites for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The National Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world. For more information, visit: www.nps.gov.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL PARK FOUNDATION

The National Park Foundation is an independent charitable organization chartered by Congress in 1967 to strengthen the connection between the American people and their 392 national park sites. As the official national non-profit partner of America's National Parks, the Foundation raises private funds, makes strategic grants, creates innovative partnerships and increases public awareness about the need and opportunity for park philanthropy. In its 2008 fiscal year, the National Park Foundation distributed grants and program support of $27.3M. For more information, visit www.nationalparks.org

Contact: Contact: National Park Service National Park Foundation Bill Line, Toni Braxton Mark Shields (202) 619-7400 (202) 354-6480 William_Line@nps.gov Mshields@nationalparks.org

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Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090630/DC40408LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: National Park Foundation

CONTACT: Bill Line, William_Line@nps.gov, or Toni Braxton, both of
National Park Service, +1-202-619-7400; or Mark Shields, National Park
Foundation, +1-202-354-6480, Mshields@nationalparks.org

Web Site: http://www.thenationaltree.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment