The Acadiana Symphony Chamber Orchestra will play in Abbeville for free

Written by Laura Trahan

The Acadiana Symphony Chamber Orchestra will be presenting its annual concert at the St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church at 7 p.m. Tuesday as part of the Carousel Concert Series, celebrating its 10th anniversary of performing at Abbeville.
This is only the second time that the Carousel Concert Series has been held.
It was formerly part of the Carousel of Arts event, which was held for the last time in 2012. The series also includes “Sounds on the Square,” which will happen on March 20, and performances by the top high school music students in the parish as well. In a way, these sounds can be used to harken the feelings of the approaching springtime.
“The reason why we put this on is because we need something to get people back to participating in activities in the heart of town after being cooped up by the cold weather,” said Tony Mayard, president of the Vermilion Arts Council and curator at the Abbeville Alliance Center Museum and Art Gallery.
The orchestra has performed in Abbeville since 2004 and either the full or just the chamber orchestra performs. The Abbeville Symphony Committee and the Vermilion Art Council set up fundraisers to accept donations in order to help out with the costs of having the orchestra. In return, the show, along with the others during the series, are free to the public.
“The concerts are free because of the generous donations from individuals and businesses from the community,” said Mayard.
The painting that appears on the flyers for the event, named “Symphony of Birds,” was painted by Mayard. The 36’’X 48’’ painting will be raffled off during the reception after the concert. The performance will be accompanied by the Voices of St. Mary Magdalen, also known as the adult choir, as well as the St. Mary Magdalen Children’s Choir.