the Pembroke Players and Friends give two special performances of Saint-Saens' ever-popular Carnival of the Animals in aid of the Bermuda Zoological Society.

The first, which takes place on Friday, is tailored to children with a special introduction by musical director, Jonathan Palmer.

On Saturday evening, the performance will be preceded by a gala cocktail reception.

This will take place at the Aquarium and features some of the Island's best-known performers.

The Pembroke Players was formed last year by Kate Ross and Liz Pitman to promote chamber music in Bermuda. As former teachers for the Menuhin Foundation they have been able to call on the talents of many of their musical friends to play with them in this "Grand Zoological Fantasy''.

These include Pembroke Player member Joan Stewart, who teaches Suzuki violin, Suzanne Dunkerley, who leads the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra, woodwind specialist Doug Frith, clarinettist Dave Jenkins, who will be providing the "cuckoo calls'', Lisa Wyatt, woodwind teacher at Saltus Grammar School, who will perform the famous "Fossils'' sequence on the xylophone and, finally, pianists Jane Farge and Andrea Hodson. The production will be directed by Jonathan Palmer and narrated by well-known actor, Nigel Kermode, who will introduce each movement.

Composed in 1886 for the amusement of his friends, Saint-Saens poked gentle fun at some of their musical styles, as in his version of Offenbach's Can-Can, which is played slowly enough to accommodate a team of dancing tortoises.

Other selections will also include the Royal March of the Lion, Hens and Cocks, Wild Asses, The Elephant, Kangaroo, Aquarium, Persons with Long Ears, the Aviary, the Cuckoo in the Woods, Pianists, Fossils and The Swan -- this last piece immortalised by the great ballerina Anna Pavlova who danced it as `The Dying Swan'.

The children's performance is on Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m. and tickets at $5 must be purchased in advance from the front desk at the Aquarium.

Tickets for the Saturday, May 1 performance are $35 for members of the Bermuda Zoological Society and $40 for non-members. The reception starts at 7.30 p.m.

and the performance at 8.30 p.m. Tickets are limited, and should be reserved in advance by telephoning the Aquarium at 293-2727.