Fresh from Grammys and heading to Carnegie Hall, country, classical music to highlight next weekend

A pair of musical events scheduled for the weekend of April 28- 29 will provide audiences with a level of performance uncommon outside large metropolitan cultural centers. A special benefit concert by a Grammy-winning No. 1 songwriter and a special performance by acclaimed musicians bound for Carnegie Hall are on tap for Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

Washington native Hillary Lindsey, who wrote the No. 1 country hits "Blessed" and "This One's for the Girls," and who was awarded the 2007 Grammy for the "Best Country Song" for "Jesus Take the Wheel," will present a special concert on the grounds of the Washington Wilkes Country Club on Saturday, April 28.

Then, on Sunday, Erin Marie Thomas Horner will appear in concert with her husband, Brian Horner, and colleagues Emily Wasson and Kevin Chance at the Washington Little Theater Playhouse for an afternoon of classical music beginning at 2 o'clock.

Seating and admission is limited at both events. While the Sunday afternoon concert is free to the public, advance tickets for Lindsey's performance on Saturday are available now at the Chamber of Commerce office on The Square.

Proceeds from the Saturday concert will be used, at Lindsey's request, to provide musical instruments for students in the Washington Wilkes school band program. Through the Washington-Wilkes Art Foundation, a fund is being estab- lished to insure that all students with a real interest in music, regardless of their economic situation, will have the opportunity to develop their talents.

Additionally, a new CD of Lindsey's best songs is now on sale for $16 each and is available at the Parts Department of Washington Ford Mercury on East Robert Toombs Avenue and at Kermit's Salon on Spring Street.

The April 28 concert will be held at the Washington-Wilkes Country Club with gates opening to ticket holders at 6 p.m. At 6:30 p.m., a "Southern Pig Pickin'" barbecue will be served in the Country Club dining room. Tickets for the meal are $12 and are available at Kermit's Salon Tuesdays through Saturday mornings. To make arrangements by phone, call Kermit Hocutt at 706- 401-3262.

There will also be other vendors selling food, snacks, and beverages on the Country Club grounds. However, no coolers or food may be taken in by any ticket holder, patron, or sponsor.

A limited number of stage-front patron tables under the tent is still available at $500 each for eight seats per table. Individual seats under the tent are priced at $20 and admission for those "who wish to bring their own chair and sit around the tent" is set at $6 per person. Advanced ticket purchases are preferred. Parking at the event will be limited and organizers are encouraging carpooling.