Sunday, May 29 was the Spring Concert, the last big event of the semester for the music department. It was a good way to round off the musical year.
I always forget to take pictures of my orchestras, so during our warmup time I gathered each orchestra together for a group picture! I also handed out awards to each student (like the “Best Bow Hold Award” “Mystery Man Award” and “Story-Teller Award”).
High school orchestra (with one player missing)
Intermediate Orchestra being serious - a rare shot!
Their normal faces
Also normal - laughing!
Beginning Orchestra - don't worry, the guy in blue changed into black before the concert!
Then it was time for the concert!
B.K. and S.S. played duets as a prelude outside the auditorium
I was really proud of my beginning orchestra. They played pieces called “Frolic” and “Entry of the Nobles” – both at a grade level of 1.5, which are normally played by groups in their 2nd year. They were extremely motivated to be playing “real” music – 2 pieces of sheet music in addition to a piece in their book! They worked hard and did well.
Beginning orchestra book
The Intermediate group played a lively arrangement of Vivaldi’s “Spring,” a slower piece called “Sweet Moment,” and ballet music from Schubert’s “Rosamunde.” Overall, they did a great job! They especially enjoyed playing Spring.
The High School orchestra did Bartok’s first Rumanian Folk Dance, Bach’s Air, and a suite of Renaissance dances by Peter Warlock. An audience member noted that the playing level improved with each group, and it was fun to see the growth and learning all around. I was not completely satisfied with the high school orchestra’s performance; they can play better, but with our extremely limited rehearsals, we did the best we could. Next year, there should be enough to have the high school as a class during the day again. With 6 or 7 practicing every day, we will be able to accomplish great things!
The high school choir was small this semester, but they put on a quality performance.
High School Quintet
We are looking forward to growth in the high school ensembles next year!
