Symphonic ties: Reception introduces Mississippi Symphony Orchestra’s new director to Vicksburg, celebrates connections to city

Published 2:27 pm Thursday, April 28, 2022

Vicksburg is a community with many avenues to celebrate the arts.

There are live theater and choral performances, artists and art galleries, dancers, craftsmen and musicians. The River City also has a relationship with the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra, thanks to three local women who serve on the MSO Board.

On April 20, those women, Dorothy Brasfield, Carol McMillin and Debbie Felt, hosted an afternoon tea at the Church of the Holy Trinity in efforts to continue the relationship between Vicksburg and the symphony and to introduce locals to the MSO’s new president and executive director, Jenny Mann.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Mann, who most recently served as the executive director of the Tuscaloosa Symphony where she was the principal bassoonist since 2006, has taken the position following the retirement of the former MSO Executive Director Michael Beattie.

“We wanted to promote the symphony any way we can and introduce her (Mann) to the citizens of Vicksburg,” McMillin said.

The MSO performs in Vicksburg “at least twice a year,” McMillin said, including a candlelight concert, as part of the Four Seasons of the Arts programming, which is held at Holy Trinity in January, and an outdoor concert at the Vicksburg National Military Park to celebrate Memorial Day.

“The concert in the military park is very popular,” McMillin said.

Also in the past, McMillin said, Vicksburg has hosted “A Night at the Symphony,” which entails a reception along with locals loading up on a bus and traveling to Thalia Mara Hall to attend a performance in Jackson.

Vicksburg Mayor George Flaggs Jr. contributes to this event, McMillin said.

An additional connection Vicksburg has to the MSO is its principal trumpet player, Darcy Bishop.

Bishop is the conductor for the Vicksburg Orchestral Society.

“There are all kinds of ties between this community and the Mississippi Symphony,” McMillin said, and hopes are to continue and expand the relationship.

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.’

email author More by Terri Cowart