Now that your tummy is full of delicious Thanksgiving goodies, consider getting full on into the mood of the holidays by taking an itty-bitty road trip to the King Center in Melbourne to enjoy the Brevard Symphony Orchestra’s “Sounds of the Season.” The concert features not only the professional BSO musicians but also Amy Cofield, soprano with the Brevard Community Chorus. Sponsored by the Hermansen Family and Whittaker Cooper Certified Public Accountants, the concert is a family-friendly one. There will be traditional carols, familiar holiday pops tunes, light-hearted classics and an audience sing-along. You might also see the BSO’s fun-loving maestro, Christopher Confessore, sporting a Santa hat, so you know this will be sheer fun. Featured soprano Cofield is a classically trained singer who studied singing at Opera Roanoke, where she became the apprentice artist program director. The Roanoke Times called her singing “masterful (with) bursts of coloratura and expressive.” A South Bend, Indiana, native, she instructed at Washington and Lee University and Hollins University. It begins 2 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 27 at the King Center for the Performing Arts, 3865 N. Wickham Road. Tickets are $19 to $39. Handling fees may apply. Call 321-242-2219 or visit KingCenter.com. Masks are required. No bags allowed.
An unusual event takes place this Saturday afternoon at the Vero Beach Museum of Art. It’s “American Perspectives through Storytelling” with author/scholar and storyteller Caren Neile. The program will help people learn about storytelling cued by both personal experiences and art. This interactive program is being presented in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibition, “American Perspectives Stories from the American Folk Art Museum,” which is on view through Jan. 2, 2022. In this virtual program, artworks from the American Perspectives exhibition will be the inspiration for participants to create a story and to fold their own life experiences into the story. First, to demonstrate the elements of visual and written storytelling, Neile will use an image from the exhibition. Then, she will urge students to do the same. “Narratives and storytelling are powerful themes that run throughout the exhibition,” says Sophie Bentham-Wood, the museum’s marketing and communications director. “The VBMA wanted to offer this kind of programming to our audiences so that they could connect the artwork, stories and their own personal histories using Dr. Caren Neile’s guidance and expertise. VBMA staff have attended another program that Dr. Neile hosted last year. We were impressed with the program’s format, the audience’s enthusiasm and high levels of participation, and deep connections to the artwork.” The program will be recorded and available on the VBMA website until Jan. 2. “American Perspectives through Storytelling” runs 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27 at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, 3001 Riverside Dr. Seating is limited. The program is free, but you do need to register as seating is limited. Call 772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org. The “American Perspectives” exhibition comprises more than 70 works of folk and self-taught artists from the permanent collection of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City. The exhibition explores themes such as nationhood, freedom, community, imagination, opportunity and legacy. Admission to the exhibition costs $8 general, $7 seniors, and free to children under 17 years and to museum members. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. The last admission is 15 minutes before closing.
The post-Thanksgiving weekend is the unofficial kickoff for the most celebrated time of the holiday season. Get into the mood for that at the Space Coast Symphony’s “Christmas with Emmet Cahill” concert. It begins 3 p.m. Sunday at the Emerson Center. The young Irish tenor was principal vocalist for Celtic Thunder. Cahill will sing “Silent Night,” “Panis Angelicus,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “O Holy Night” and many classics from his homeland, including “Danny Boy” and “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling.” Special $60 VIP tickets will get you first pick of seating, a pre-concert meet-and-greet and a free signed photo of Cahill. Regular admission is $30 general and free to students 18 years and younger. The Emerson Center is at 1590 27th Ave., Vero Beach. Call 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org.
