University High School Orchestra performed their first Fall concert on October 29th. Three different orchestras that played that night, Concert, Repertory, and Chamber Orchestra. This unforgettable evening showcased the incredible talent and dedication of students who worked diligently to prepare a diverse program of classical and solo pieces. Under the direction of Lisa Coyne, conductor of the orchestra, the students performed a thoughtfully selected program and demonstrated their technical expertise as well as their emotional depth during the concert.
The concert opened with the Concert Orchestra playing D-Tour by Todd Parrish. D-Tour is a piece that gives students a helpful repetition with fun little “detours” to keep them engaged. It was designed to explore the concept of deviation from an expected plan. Their last piece was Artifacts by Kathryn Griesinger. This piece, a mysterious hunt for ancient artifacts, reveals important pedagogical concepts. Of which include staccato, accents, bow lifts, pizzicato, dynamics and the fourth finger. With that our freshman of the year played their first orchestra concert for this year.
After the Concert Orchestra played, a violin quartet was played. Repertory then lined up while the quartet was playing. The Repertory Orchestra starting piece was Allegro Molto by Mozart arranged by Anthony Granata. It is a classical arrangement rewritten in the key of D-major. It featured simple eighth note patterns, dynamics, articulations and accidentals. Students retained the charm and elegance of the original work and helped students have a bolder and mature sound. Their second piece was Mystical Voyage by Jeremy Woolstenhulme. This took players and audiences on a high energy journey of musical proportions set in D-minor. In addition to these large ensemble works, there was another small group performance that was included in the concert, a violin solo piece with a piano component, which offered a glimpse into the talent of individual sections within the orchestra.
The Chamber Orchestra had played The Rite of Spring by Stravinsky arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle. This piece is described as a musical choreographic work, representing pagan Russia and the mystery and great surge of the creative power of Spring. Their second piece was Pavane for a Dead Princess by Maurice Ravel arranged by Woolstenhulme. This gave the orchestra the opportunity to perform with maturity and elegance. The last piece is Symphony No.2 Finale by Emilie Mayer arranged by Lauren Taylor, this musical piece reveals Mayer’s bold and confident style.
Since the school had been closed for hurricane days, the Orchestra was under a time crunch. “We did a good job considering we brought it together in such a short amount of time, losing 3 whole days because of the hurricane,” said senior Amelia Javier. Although rehearsal time in school was cut short, Orchestra students were still able to host the concert when it was originally planned. This December, Orchestra will be playing in the White Christmas musical for the theater program.
