October 4th was the first indoor orchestra concert our school has had in a year, demonstrating a major comeback. The students did an amazing job performing and blew away the audience, showcasing their talent and performing music that has been months in the making.
A big change made to the concert from previous years is the admission fee. Normally they would charge for tickets, but they are allowing people to attend for free, instead asking for donations in order to raise money for orchestra equipment. Depending on the contribution, they may or may not continue using this method for future concerts.
The Concert Orchestra was the first to perform, comprised mostly of freshmen, some of the students have been playing for two years while some just started in August. Around 40% of the students who are currently in orchestra were taking it online last year. Despite this, they were able to overcome this barrier and their hard work has payed off as is evident from their performance.
“Last year it was really hard because half our class was there so it would be a struggle trying to connect everybody during one rehearsal a week, but it’s much easier now everybody’s here.” sophomore Mya Sweeney, a violinist in the Symphonic Orchestra, said.
Next to perform was the Symphonic Orchestra. They tried a new technique in their rendition of “The Odyssey” by Soon Hee Newbold. They utilized finger plucking, mutes (dampens the sound), and spiccato (bouncing the back of the bow against the string producing a sound). These all added to the overall effect of the music resulting in a suspenseful and spectacular piece. They preceded this with a slower piece displaying a dreamy, more emotional feel.
“[My favorite part of performing] is being able to make people feel the emotions that we convey through the pieces we play,” Sweeney said, “It’s very therapeutic, just playing the music. Like it lets me escape from everything going on around me and indulge into the music.”
The Chamber Orchestra ended the night with a bang. This intimate audition group impressed with their final performance. For their last song, Orchestra director Szarowicz went out into the audience and sat down as they went on playing flawlessly without being conducted. What an amazing way to end a successful night!
Isabel Ballard // Staff Writer
