Meridian Symphony Orchestra will face some of its toughest music critics Friday — fourth-graders from area schools.

The 70-member ensemble of professional musicians will take center stage at Emma McCain Theater during two morning performances for the Edna Ford Children’s Concerts. The concert is free.

“This really ties into their fourth-grade curriculum, in which they are supposed to learn the four families of the orchestra — strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion,” said Sharon Pratt, who teaches music at Northeast Elementary School and is a member of the MSO board.

The concert is designed to introduce students to classical music — a genre often overlooked today.

“We know that not everybody will enjoy classical music or that it’s their cup of tea. But the idea is to expose the students so that they will have some knowledge of classical music,” Pratt said.

The 45-minute concert will include music and a discussion by Claire Fox Hillard, conductor of the Meridian Symphony Orchestra.

“The orchestra will demonstrate how each instrument sounds and is played,” Pratt said. “We hope to make it interesting and comfortable to children where they can understand and enjoy it.”

The program will feature: “March of the Toreadors” from “Carmen” by Georges Bizet; “Allegro” from “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; “Scherzo” from “Petite Symphonie” by Charles Gounod; “Fanfare for the Common Man” by Aaron Copland; “Autumn” from “The Seasons” by Alexander Glazunov; and “The Stars and Stripes Forever March” by John Phillip Sousa.

“There’s a lot of research that shows that classical music develops children’s brains and increases their skills,” Pratt said. “People who study the arts, whether its dance or drawing, tend to learn better and have educational success.”

Each student will receive a program book that includes details of how the orchestra is tuned, concert do’s and don’ts, an outline of how the orchestra is seated onstage, an explanation of the instruments of the orchestra and games.

Two concert-related contests will be featured, a concert booklet cover contest and essay contest.

The winning illustration will be featured on the cover of next year’s children’s concert booklet. And from the essays, three winners will be chosen. Prizes will be awarded during the symphony’s spring concert and the winners and their families will be recognized as special guests.

The Children’s Concert is sponsored by the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors. Program books are provided by The O.C. Barham Family Foundation.



CONCERT SCHEDULE

The Edna Ford Children’s Concert will be held Friday at Emma McCain Theater, Ivy Hall, Meridian Community College.

Here’s the schedule:

9 a.m.-9:45 a.m. — Lauderdale County schools, Lamar Elementary School and Russell Christian Academy

10:30 a.m.-11:15 a.m. — Meridian public schools, St. Patrick Catholic School, Calvary Christian School and home-schoolers.