CEDAR CITY – The annual, award-winning Orchestra of Southern Utah Children’s Jubilee will be Saturday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at the Heritage Center.

Tickets are $5 each for children and adults; children under one year of age are admitted free. One free ticket is given to each family that brings three cans of food to be donated to the Iron County Care and Share.

Each year the orchestra chooses a theme for the jubilee and provides music, art and science activities for children and their families. This year the jubilee, which is sponsored by Dr. Brian Burrows and the staff at Color Country Pediatrics, will focus on the contributions of Western Europe, including the science of Sir Isaac Newton and the world of opera. Special guest artists are Carol Ann Modesitt, Lawrence Johnson, and SUU Opera students. Music from “Carmen,” “Mikado,” “La Boheme,” “The Flying Dutchman,” and the “Magic Flute” will be performed.

Displays open at 1 p.m. Operatic costume displays are provided by Jessica Cowdin and the SUU Costume Construction Class, with thanks to the Utah Shakespearean Festival for providing dress forms.

Stage set models have been designed by the third, fourth, and fifth grades at East and South Elementary Schools, under the direction of music specialists Whitney Hopkins and Melissa Leavitt. These displays demonstrate part of the magic of opera: creativity. A story can be interpreted in many ways and the stage design creates an atmosphere for the opera to tell a musical story.

A dress up corner will be set up for children to try on costumes and to act out their own stories.

Several local businesses are also setting up displays in the lobby. Cedar Music Store and Studio has instruments for children to try as well as music supplies. Lydia Brescia of Lydia’s Natural Creations is displaying her art and will also be face painting. Todd and Susie Prince are exhibiting gourd art and jewelry. Breakin’ Wind is providing a kite display.

The Orchestra of Southern Utah concert begins at 2 p.m. The orchestra plays the overture from “Der fliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman)” by Richard Wagner, conducted by OSU Conductor and Music Director Xun Sun.

Wagner set the tragic love story of “The Flying Dutchman” in Norway. The overture is a storm of musical sound, with the wailing wind and tumultuous waves of a sea tempest. The captain experiences both hope and despair as he tries to find his true love and escape his curse of sailing the sea until Judgment Day.

SUU Professors soprano Carol Ann Modesitt and tenor Lawrence Johnson will perform as jubilee guest artists.

Modesitt and Johnson will sing “Habanera” and “La fleur tu m’avais jetee” (The Flower Song) from “Carmen” by Geroges Bizet, “Che gelida manina,” and “Si, mi chiamo Mimi” from “La Boheme” by Giacomo Puccini.

Soprano Kim Padilla will sing “Der Holle Rache” from “Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)” by Mozart; soprano Samantha Ontiveros and baritone Corbin Iverson sing the duet “Pa-Pa-Pa” from the same opera.

Soprano Sarah Maxwell and tenor Matthew Clegg perform “Were you not to Ko-Ko plighted” from “Mikado” by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Special appearances are also planned from the Utah Shakespearean Festival Playmakers and Sir Isaac Newton.

Hands-on art and science activities will be provided for the children immediately following the concert.

SUU physics professors Laura Cotts, Jim Chisholm, and several science students have hands-on science activities illustrating the Laws of Motion articulated by Sir Isaac Newton.

Carrie Trenholm and SUU Elementary Education Arts Integration Students will help the children to create their own theatrical masks and costume designs.

SUU art professor Arlene Braithwaite, her daughter Hope and several friends are helping with the face painting.

The Orchestra of Southern Utah would like to thank Benjamin Tyrrel for helping with repertoire, slide projection, facilitating the costume display, and helping with the jubilee elementary school assemblies.

OSU would also like to thank Jason Clark, David Nyman, Brett Whitelaw and the Heritage Center staff for the use of the beautiful building; the Friends of Music Guild for assisting with jubilee activities; Rollan Fell and The Printe Shoppe for designing and printing posters and programs; OSU musicians and support team for help with set up, clean up, providing music through their talent and instruments; and Laurel Dodgion for coordinating the Jubilee Food Drive as part of the national “Orchestras Feeding America” project in conjunction with the League of American Orchestras.

The Orchestra of Southern Utah’s winter concert, entitled “Bravo Opera!,” will be next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Heritage Center, and will also feature soloists Modesitt and Johnson, as well as SUU opera students. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and $30 for a group of six. No children younger than 6 please.