Festival of the Arts providing day of music in Jackson

On Friday about 250 students from several area schools will converge on Jackson for a day of music, culminating in a mass choir performance at 6 p.m.

This is the ninth year of the Festival of the Arts, an event that seeks to connect fourth- through sixth-graders from various districts under the umbrella of artistic performance.

West Lane Elementary art teacher Kelly Crawford said the event usually changes venues from year to year, but returns to Jackson this year.

Students from Clippard Elementary, the Cape Children's Choir, Nell Holcomb, Jackson's North and South Elementary, West Lane, Jackson Middle School and the Perryville Middle School Choir will take part in the event.

Students will meet at 1 p.m. to practice for the 6 p.m. mass choir performance, taking place in the Jackson Junior High gym. They will perform American folk song standards like "Oh Susannah."

Teachers have been working with students for weeks with the music so they'll be prepared for the mass choir performance, Crawford said.

Some students will also perform on percussion instruments and Jackson seventh-grade guitar students will join the performance.

The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, call 243-9565.