Symphony to present children’s program Friday

Published 9:41 pm Friday, September 23, 2016

: PERFORMANCE: The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, pictured above, will present a program to approximately 2,000 Vicksburg children from public and private schools Friday.

Maestro Crafton Beck of the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra is not only a talented musical director and conductor, he also has a gift for making classical music relevant to children.

On Friday, the maestro, along with the MSO, will travel to Vicksburg to present “Bach to the Future,” a program that will feature excerpts of compositions composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, Vicksburg Warren County School District fine arts coordinator Nancy Robertson said.

“All first through third graders from the public and private schools have been invited to attend,” Robertson said, adding she is expecting about 2,000 children for the two performances scheduled for 9:30 a.m. and 11 at the Vicksburg Convention Center.

Sponsored by the Four Seasons of the Arts, Friday’s event was originally called A Day with the Symphony, artistic director for the Four Seasons of the Arts Dorothy Brasfield said. She said originally not only were the two daytime programs offered to local students, the event also included a free evening program that was open to the public.

The evening portion of the program, which featured the MSO, was eventually dropped, Brasfield said, and is now presented on Memorial Day.

However, for nearly 20 years, the Four Seasons of the Arts has continued to offer the daytime programs, which are geared to give students the chance to experience a live orchestra.

“The event will give some of these kids an opportunity to see what an orchestra looks like and sounds like, and some of them will never see one live again,” Robertson said.

During Friday’s performance, Beck will tell a story to the children through the music using “snippets” of Bach’s compositions, Robertson said.

“He always draws the audience into the performance. He is quiet the educator as well as being clever and entertaining,” she said.

In addition to the musical performance, Robertson said Beck would also introduce the students to the members of the orchestra and talk to them about the different kinds of instruments the members play.

In a time when music programs are being cut, Robertson said Vicksburg has been a community that has always valued the fine arts.

“We are so thankful to be in a community that supports every aspect of the fine arts. There is no lack of fine arts in this community,” she said.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

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