The Lowcountry Center for Photography is holding a spring photo competition for amateur photographers. The theme is "Garden Party," and nature, flower and wildlife photographs will be accepted.

The top photographs will be displayed in an art show set for March 30 to April 1 at the center, 304C Pineland Station, and the first-prize winner will receive a $150 cash award and a $100 gift certificate for Lowcountry Center for Photography.

Hilton Head Preparatory School won second place in the South Carolina Independent School Association's state one-act play competition, held at the association's Literary Meet last month in Holly Hill.

The eight student actors performed the comedy "A Company of Wayward Saints," adapted from George Herman's full-length play to fit the competition's 30-minute time limit.

Hilton Head Preparatory School students Addison Goss and Chris Schembra also received honorable mentions for best high school actress and actor in a play.

NEW ORLEANS -- Britney Spears spent part of Mardi Gras with a group of students whose lives were upended when Hurricane Katrina devastated the area six months ago.

Standing in the French Quarter surrounded by St. Catherine of Siena School dancers wearing "Gatorettes" uniforms, the 24-year-old pop star, a Louisiana native, talked on ABC's "Good Morning America" Tuesday of her recent "surprise" meeting with four students from Our Lady of Mount Carmel School of New Orleans.

On a recent morning, the girls sat down to breakfast with City Councilman Jay Batt, thinking they were there to discuss the effects of Katrina. Then Spears walked in, greeted with squeals.

"It was awesome. I will never forget it," said 14-year-old Lindsay Hernandez, who lived with 21 relatives and friends after her home was destroyed.

Spears took the girls shopping and to dine at one of Cajun chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants for some Southern comfort food, including fried chicken and red beans and rice. There, the conversation turned from shopping to Katrina.

"We had to go to a shelter," said Auntrell Prosper, 17, who still has Beyonce posters on her bedroom walls in her devastated home. She now lives with her family in a trailer.

Spears gave the girls fleur-de-lis pins on blue ribbons. It was a surprise for the dance troupe from St. Catherine's, a school in suburban Metairie, as well as for the four New Orleans girls.

NEW YORK -- Manuscripts written by a who's who of classical music have been donated to the Juilliard School, the conservatory announced Tuesday.

A commodities trader had secretly amassed 139 pieces including works by J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, Wagner, Mahler, Stravinsky, among many others. The pieces also range from Purcell's opera "Dido and Aeneas," dating to the 1680s, to works by Schnittke written in the 1990s.

"It's a historic day at the Juilliard School," said Joseph W. Polisi, president of the conservatory, which is celebrating its centenary year. "The gift represents one of the finest collections of musical manuscripts to be amassed in modern times."

The items were acquired during a decade of anonymous purchases at auctions by Bruce Kovner, chairman of Juilliard's board and founder of Caxton Associated LLC.

"I started collecting just for the personal pleasure of being close to these icons of the greatest musical achievements in Western music," Kovner said.

A specially designed reading room is being built for the manuscripts. Starting in 2009, scholars, performers and members of the public who make an appointment will be able to view them.

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