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MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Oct. 17, 2019) — The Milligan College Orchestra, directed by professor of music Dr. Kellie Brown, will present “A Musical Zoo” on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 7:30 p.m. in Milligan’s Mary B. Martin Auditorium located in Seeger Chapel. The concert will journey through centuries of music inspired by the animal kingdom. The event is free and open to the public.
The concert will include an exciting educational outreach component. Artwork created by students at Andrew Johnson Elementary School, Blountville Elementary School and Cherokee Elementary School will be featured in a digital presentation that will begin 45 minutes prior to the concert. Each piece of art will depict an animal represented in the concert.
“Elementary students are eager for music, and our family-friendly concert will allow children to visualize the musical depictions of animals,” shared Brown. “We partnered with schools across the Tri-Cities to inspire young children and provide an opportunity for families and classmates to enjoy a concert together.”
The concert will feature songs that span several centuries and genres. Featured repertoire includes the familiar overture from “The Thieving Magpie” by Rossini, “The Waltzing Cat” by Leroy Anderson and “The Red Pony” by Aaron Copland. Songs from the films “Mary Poppins” and “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald” also will be performed.
“Composers have long been inspired by the animal kingdom,” said Brown. “There is great creativity in trying to instrumentally depict animals.”
The highlight of the concert will be movements from “Carnival of the Animals” by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns. Dr. Ted Thomas, professor of humanities, history and German, will read a selection of poetry about the animals depicted in the movements before they are performed. The excerpts will be highlighted by two solos featuring Cherylonda Fitzgerald, adjunct instructor of music, on the cello and Cynthia Mueller, adjunct instructor of music, on the bass.
For more information on Milligan’s area of music, visit milligan.edu/music.