Taking a bow with the EC Chamber Orchestra.

“Five Fairy Tales,” Opus 127, composed by Ivar Lunde, music director and conductor of the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra, will make its world premiere at the orchestra’s annual free family concert, “ECCO Tells the Tale,” on Saturday, Jan. 24. Timothy Skutley, principal of Northwoods Elementary School, will narrate the stories. Drawings from an art contest for children ages 12 and under will be enlarged and displayed at the concert. And post-concert, the Memorial High School Orchestra will have an “Instrument Petting Zoo” which will provide adults and children alike a chance to look at and play various musical instruments. Lunde chose three tales from Asbjorsen and Moe’s Norwegian Fairy Tales, “The Three Billy-Goats Gruff,” “The Mysterious Box,” and “The Pancake,” and two from Grimms’ Fairy Tales, “The Seven Ravens” and “The Bremen Town Musicians.” Lunde explains that the stories “are a mixture of settings mostly to entertain but also to teach morality. The fairy tales also tend to address social problems; inequality between the rich and poor in particular. These stories have been passed down from generation to generation and are now part of each country’s literary treasure.” The concert is a rare opportunity to hear an original composition written by the orchestra’s own conductor. Admission to this concert is free due to generous donations from the Wisconsin Arts Board, Xcel Energy, and Visit Eau Claire.

ECCO Tells the Tale • Jan. 24, 2pm • Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire • FREE • (715) 831-3331 • eauclairechamberorchestra.org