DORSET - The Manchester Music Festival's upcoming Thanksgiving Concert will feature a feast of classical and popular favorites performed by two outstanding musical groups: the Montclair Brass and the Manchester Music Festival String Quintet.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students with valid ID. They may be purchased at the Northshire Bookstore in Manchester, at the Festival office at 362-1956, online at www.mmfvt.org, or at the door. Admission is free for kids under 12.

Titled "An Afternoon of Strings and Brass," the concert will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24 at the United Church of Dorset and East Rupert in Dorset.

"The string part of the concert goes first and will come bursting out of the musical gate with the irresistible energy of Felix Mendelssohn," said Ariel Rudiakov, violist and Artistic Director of the Music Festival. "His quintet for strings is filled with passion, pathos and along the way some playful mischief."

The quintet is comprised of Deborah Buck and Joana Genova, violins; Thomas Rosenthal and Ariel Rudiakov, violas; and cellist Michael Haber. They will be followed by Montclair Brass playing the music of Gabrielli, Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin and fast-rising American composer Eric Ewazen.

The Montclair Brass is made up of five outstanding musicians including Donald Batchelder who plays principal trumpet for the New York City Opera and performs with the Metropolitan Opera and Brooklyn Philharmonic; Jeff Scott,

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french horn, member of the Imani Winds who has performed on Broadway and with the Lincoln Center Jazz and Afro-Latin Jazz orchestras; Charles Bumcrot, trumpetist, who has performed with the American Symphony Orchestra and plays principal solo trumpet with Orchestra New England; Kyle Turner, principal tubist for the American Symphony who has performed with the New York Philharmonic and Philadephia Orchestra; and trombonist Anthony Mazzocchi, co-Artistic Director (along with his wife, violinist Deborah Buck) of the Kinhaven Music School, who has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic and New Jersey Symphony orchestras.

"These five artists are among the most sought-after professionals in New York City ," Rudiakov said. "When they come to the Dorset church the audience will be treated to the regal, signature sound of a perfectly balanced brass ensemble."