Orchestra to perform at Dyersburg State

The Messenger 11.28.07

Scott Speck, music director of the Mobile (Ala.) Symphony and co-author of the best-selling “Classical Music for Dummies,” will be the special guest conductor Friday when the Memphis Symphony Orchestra presents its annual “Home for the Holidays” concert at Dyersburg State Community College.
The performance, which has become a holiday tradition for many, will begin at 8 p.m. at the E.H. Lannom Jr. Gymnasium. As in the past, the concert will include a mix of Christmas classical music such as “The Nutcracker Suite” and “Ave Maria” and sing-along fare such as “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas.”
Soprano Veronica Chapman-Smith, who is known for her versatility since she made her professional debut in 2003, will be the featured soloist. Previously, she has performed with the Charlotte Symphony, the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia, Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Opera Birmingham, among others.
Speck, whose books “Classical Music for Dummies,” “Opera for Dummies” and “Ballet for Dummies” have received stellar reviews, has conducted at London’s Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, the Paris Opera, the Kennedy Center, the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco and the Los Angeles Music Center, among others.
In addition, Speck has served as a regular commentator on National Public Radio, the British Broadcasting Corp., the Australian Broadcasting Corp. and Voice of Russia.
Tickets for the performance are now available at the DSCC business office, located in the Eller Administration Building on the Dyersburg campus. The cost is $25 for priority seating, $10 for adults and $5 for children. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the performance.
Last year’s performance was a near sellout, so those interested in attending are encouraged to purchase tickets early, a spokesman said.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol Feather at (731) 286-3256.

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