A special edition of the Brown Bag Concert Series will bring the classic children’s musical tale “Peter and the Wolf” to life this Saturday. The free performance is open to children and adults of all ages.
The performance will be held at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 720 Ford Ave.
The event is part of the ongoing Brown Bag Concert Series, which was launched in 2018 by Kentucky Wesleyan College clarinet professor Kirsten Ahnell with the goal of bringing classical music to the public in an accessible and engaging format. Ahnell, who also moderates the concerts, said this particular program is especially close to her heart.
“It has been my dream piece since I began the Brown Bag Concerts,” Ahnell said. “My hope is to resurrect this classic work. I’ve been shocked by how many young people and college music students have never heard of it.”
“Peter and the Wolf,” written by Serge Prokofiev in 1936, was created to introduce children to orchestral instruments, with each character represented by a different instrument. This version, arranged by British bassoonist Lisa Portus, is scored for woodwind quintet and percussion, Ahnell said.
Todd Reynolds, the recently retired longtime director of Theatre Workshop of Owensboro, will serve as the narrator. The musical ensemble includes Kristen Kean (flute), Elizabeth Robertson (oboe), Ahnell (clarinet), Mary Stuckemeyer (bassoon), Emily Britton (horn), and Aaron Klausing (percussion). A cast of actors and dancers in costume will perform the story alongside the music and narration.
The concert is presented in honor of the life of Martha Wrona and is sponsored by Women of Note and the Owensboro Duplicate Bridge Club.
