Matinee Musicale held its first meeting of the year at the gracious home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dixon on Oct. 2. The home was beautifully decorated with pumpkins and seasonal arrangements. The hostesses served a delicious pumpkin bread pudding garnished with fresh fruit, caramel sauce and whipped cream with Russian spiced tea.

The program featured Mrs. Nancy Bateman, cello, accompanied by Steve Russell on piano. Mrs. Bateman is adjunct cello professor at Belhaven University. Mr. Russell teaches piano at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and serves as organist and pianist at First United Methodist Church in Brookhaven.

Mrs. Bateman called the program, “Comfort Music: Chicken Soup for the Soul.” The first selection was the beautiful “The Swan” from Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals. A flowing and breathtaking performance of Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff followed. Next were the hymns What Wonderous Love and O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus. A wonderful performance of Mendelssohn’s If With All Your Hearts preceded the rousing concluding dance Tarantella by W.H. Squire.