Jackson Symphony holds outdoor concert, courtesy of music grant

In its 64th outdoor concert, the Jackson Symphony partnered with the Jackson-Madison County Library to perform an hour-long, free show for the community on Monday at Rotary Park.

After beginning with Carl Perkins' hometown classic "Blue Suede Shoes'", the group took the audience on a musical journey around the world, performing songs from Australia, Brazil, Egypt, France and Scotland.

Jackson Symphony Executive Director Sherry Freeman explained that the concert was made possible through a grant provided by the National Endowment for the Arts called "Challenge America."

"What I applied for was to do eight of these concerts in communities and parks throughout West Tennessee," Freeman said. "We'll have done Bradford; we've done Humboldt yesterday; we've done Lexington; we'll be doing Selmer; we've done Martin, and we'll finish in Brownsville. It's really great."

Prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, being able to host outdoor events is what Freeman describes as "bringing the music to the people."

"We did our program this summer with the big read and the tour around the world and music from the world, so we thought the kids would enjoy that," she said.

The collaboration among the various groups to put the concert together began in early spring and was collectively given a special focus on catering to small children and families.

Community Engagement Director Whitney Billingsley and Adult Services Librarian Shayne Plunk shared the benefit of the Jackson Madison County Library and the Parks and Recreation Department joining forces to host the Jackson Symphony.

"We're always looking to partner and do awesome stuff for our community, so it's been really great to partner with both of these entities," Plunk said.

Billingsley noted that the Symphony in the park scratches the surface of the outdoor events to come this summer and is "looking forward to partnering with different organizations to make these events happen."

A full list of events can be found at www.jacksontn.gov and tickets for future Jackson Symphony shows, such as Greek Fantasia and Reimagined Requiem, can be purchased on its website at https://www.thejacksonsymphony.org/concerts-events.

This article originally appeared on Jackson Sun: Jackson Symphony takes audience on musical journey around the world