The semester is drawing to a close, final exams are looming, and procrastination is laughing you in the face.

The overload of stress might seem inescapable, but the Central Iowa Symphony says it has the perfect solution to beat it.

The symphony’s annual “Sounds of the Season” concert offers up “The 12 Gifts of Christmas,” a performance filled with music, sing-a-longs and even a reading of “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

Busy rehearsing with the orchestra since early November, Matt Smith, guest conductor for the Central Iowa Symphony, says the concert contains a little holiday cheer for everyone.

“We have traditional holiday music, some standard orchestral music often performed at the holidays, an opportunity for an audience sing-along, inspirational vocal music and even a reading of ”Twas the Night Before Christmas’ with local radio celebrity Trent Rice from KASI Radio,” Smith says.

The vocal performance will include two songs performed by Richard Todd Payne, a faculty member at Southwest Missouri State University who has lent his baritone voice to professional opera companies in such cities as Memphis and Indianapolis.

“He possesses a powerful and inspiring voice and has a variety of operatic experience,” Smith says.

“Sounds of the Season,” which in the past was held at Stephens Auditorium, has now partnered with the Ames Main Street Cultural District to capture the downtown atmosphere, Smith says.

“In bringing the concert back to downtown Ames, we thought it would be a good idea to encourage people to spend the day downtown and come to a wonderful holiday concert,” he says.

In addition to giving the crowd a holiday show, Smith says, they will hand out gifts from some of the local businesses.

“We will be giving away gifts at the concert, which have been donated by the local merchants,” Smith says. “We have 12 sets of gifts to give out to lucky audience members.”

What: “Sounds of the Season: The 12 Gifts of Christmas”

Where: Ames City Auditorium, 515 Clark Ave.

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $12 adults, $11 seniors, $5 students