BY MERLE MONAHAN/ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
merlemonah@aol.com
COURTLAND—Award-winning musician and songwriter Jim Witter and The Piano Men will open Franklin-Southampton Concert Association’s 33rd season at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 27.
All shows sponsored by the association are held in the Southampton High School Auditorium.
Witter will feature songs of the ’70s by Billy Joel and Elton John. This multi-media rock musical has received rave reviews from music critics across North America.
On Saturday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m., the New Christy Minstrels will take center stage.  This seven-member, folk group made its national television debut on “The Andy Williams Show” 44 years ago.
Since then, the ensemble, which still has five of its original members, has won numerous awards, including Grammies. The New Christy Minstrels also made a number of gold records and entertained at the White House.
The Chinese Golden Dragon Acrobats will perform at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14. The troupe from Hebei, China, has performed in 50 states and 65 countries on five continents, earning international acclaim.
The Golden Dragons has consistently played to sold-out audiences throughout the United States and remain the only Chinese acrobatic company touring year-round in this country.
Returning for its annual appearance at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 12, will be the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Performing under the sponsorship of the Camp Foundation, the concert is free.
The orchestra, which has been under the leadership of JoAnn Falleta for nearly 10 years, is recognized as one of the nation’s leading symphony orchestras. It will be conducted this year by Associate Conductor Benjamin Rous, who joined the symphony in August.
At 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 4, country singer Buddy Jewell will perform. Jewell will be accompanied by a combination of Nashville’s finest musicians.
He has earned national recognition with multiple award nominations, including Best New Artist by the Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association’s Horizon Award and a Grammy nomination for his participation on the country gospel compilation album, “Amazing Grace III.”
The last concert will be at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 7, with a rousing performance by the Hunt Family. From Chesapeake, this family of nine is an energetic group that combines step dancing and champion fiddling.
The group debuted on “The Tony Danza Show” and has performed at Busch Gardens, General Motors 100th Anniversary and Virginia’s Royal Welcoming for Queen Elizabeth in Richmond.
“I think we have a great lineup for the coming season,” said Nancy Rowe, president of the Concert Association. “And we are most grateful to the Camp Foundation for sponsoring the Virginia Symphony.
“We hope the public will take advantage of this free concert,” she added. “It is a wonderful opportunity for young people, especially, to be exposed to such a great orchestra.”
The concert board reluctantly raised the price of tickets this year, but it was necessary because of the economy. Season tickets for six concerts are $50, while tickets at the door are $30 for adults and $10 for students.
Those purchasing season tickets should do so before the end of August to be named in the program books. Season tickets will be mailed shortly before the first concert.