The Mayflower Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of J. Fred Thornton, will present its twice-postponed from 2020 program, titled Beethoven @ 250, on Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9.

The Saturday, Oct. 8 concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. at Saints Martha and Mary Church, 354 Bedford St., Lakeville. The Sunday afternoon Oct. 9 performance will be held at at 3 p.m. at Central Congregational Church, 2 Webster St., Middleboro.

The program includes three of Beethoven’s most popular works: the Coriolan Overture, the Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, and the Symphony No. 7 in A Major. All three date from 1807-1812, the central years of Beethoven’s so-called “middle period.”

Both performances are free to the public, although a donation of $10 to $20 to help pay for the orchestral musicians is suggested.

Pandemic protocols such as the wearing of masks are suggested but not required.

The orchestra consists of free-lance musicians who play with other orchestras on the South Shore. In the past they accompanied the Mayflower Chorale from 1984 through its last “Messiah Sing” in 2004, and the Chorale’s successor, the Mayflower Camerata, since 2016. 

These concerts are supported primarily by grants from the Local Cultural Councils of Berkley, Bridgewater, Carver, Freetown, Halifax, Lakeville, Middleboro, Plymouth, Plympton, Raynham, Rochester, and Wareham. These local agencies are supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.