Our award-winning orchestra came out and performed once again during their concert on Tuesday, Mar. 5. They held this concert in order to prepare for their assessment concert, which will be held in front of a panel of judges in two weeks.

The concert consisted of all four orchestra groups: Concert, Symphonic, Sinfonia, and Philharmonic (listed in order by ranking).

Junior Elena Klenk, a violist in Philharmonic, spent hours rehearsing so that she could give her best performance during the concert.

“I have been in Philharmonic since freshman year and I have really enjoyed the music we have played and the experiences I have had,” Klenk said.

All groups played three pieces each during the concert, and these pieces will be played in their upcoming assessment concert as well.

“The purpose of this concert was to get ready for our actual assessment concert,” Klenk said.   

Out of all of the pieces played, Klenk’s favorite was Ernest Bloch’s Concerto Grosso.

“It is my favorite because of how intense it is and it has interesting time signature changes,” Klenk said.

Since this concert was held to further ready the students for their assessments, this provided them an opportunity to learn from their mistakes and improve in the future.  

“We did rush at times, especially during the Mendelssohn,” Klenk said.

To a typical audience member, the music probably sounds euphonious, however, the student musicians are keen when it comes to their inconsistencies. Therefore, there still are improvements to be made.

“I think it’s mostly just minor things,” Klenk said.

Although the orchestra did give a great performance during their concert, they still have time to practice their songs, so they can score well in their competition.

“We still have time before the actual assessment to perfect our music,” Klenk said.

The orchestra students will have to play in front of three judges during their assessments, and then they will receive a score ranging from one to five, one being the best.

“It’s basically the orchestra version of the SOLs,” Klenk said.

A lot of preparation went into this concert and the students worked tirelessly to ensure that the audience got to hear great music.

Not only does the orchestra practice during class, but they also had after school rehearsals to prepare for their performance.

“We rehearsed during class time and we had Wednesday night rehearsals from seven to nine o’clock,” Klenk said.

It is clear that the students practice frequently because they are committed to their music.

Overall, the students played melodious music and will continue to practice until their assessment concert comes up.

“Although the pre-assessment concert was not our best, I believe if we use the next two weeks wisely, then we will be successful at the actual assessment,” Klenk said.