The Milligan College Orchestra, led by music professor Dr. Kellie Brown, performed a concert titled “A Musical Zoo.” The concert was held in the Mary B. Martin Auditorium in Seeger chapel on Nov. 2.
Every year, on the first weekend of November, Milligan College’s Orchestra holds a concert, and this year’s was “A Musical Zoo.”
“Every piece on the program is inspired by an animal,” Brown said. “Composers have long been interested in depicting animals musically, and this is a concert that I have wanted to do for a long time.”
A few of the pieces that were played in the concert included: “The Patron of Saint Ballyvourney (The Beekeeper)” by John Mock, “The Waltzing Cat” by Leroy Anderson, and “Feed the Birds” by Robert and Richard Sherman.
According the the concert program, a few featured animals were lions, turtles, hens, kangaroos and swans.
“The Milligan Orchestra is a highly skilled group of string players that perform many different types of music and concerts,” Brown said. Since its founding in 1999, the Milligan Orchestra has “grown into an impressive performing ensemble,” explained Brown.
The orchestra dabbles in more than just concerts, though. Last spring the group played for the musical “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and also for the most recent homecoming concert.
Local children’s artwork was also featured during the concert. Students from Andrew Johnson Elementary school, Blountville Elementary school and Cherokee Elementary school all made art for the animals that were represented in the pieces the orchestra was performing.
The 150 pieces of art work were displayed on a PowerPoint during the concert. “This helps show kids the connection between the various arts, and it gives them the opportunity to attend an orchestra concert,” Brown said.
“A Musical Zoo” was an opportunity for Brown and the Milligan Orchestra to exhibit the benefits of the time and effort put into creating their musical performance. Next, the Milligan Orchestra will perform in the Christmas concert on December 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Seeger Chapel.