October 24, 2018
By Maia Hahn-Du Pont and Manon LeDonne
The Fall Strings Celebration took place on Tuesday, Oct. 16 at Lexington High School, showcasing the school’s three string orchestras: Repertoire Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra. Janet Haas and Rachel Jayson directed the ensembles.
The Repertoire Orchestra performed “The Game” by Brendan McBrien and “L’Estro Armonico” written by Vivaldi and J.S. Bach and arranged by Bob Lipton. The Symphony Orchestra, directed by Janet Haas, played “Adoro Te” by Mel Bonis and Mozart’s Quintet No.4 in G minor. Finally, the Chamber Orchestra, directed by Rachel Jayson, performed all three movements of Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings.
This concert encourages student musicians of different ages to perform for each other. Later in the year, the Winter Strings Concert will employ the same structure on a larger scale, with 4th through 12th grade musicians in the Lexington Public School system performing for each other.
“[The students] can learn the opportunities for growth in the high school program and build camaraderie between instruments, ages and ensembles,” Haas said.
Combining multiple groups with varying ages and instruments allows for a rich musical experience for both the audience and the performers themselves.
“Hearing all three groups is a really interesting experience… each group has their own style and brings a different thing to the table,” Nate White, a cellist in the Symphony Orchestra, said.
Junior Bryna Patel, a violinist in the Symphony Orchestra, also had thoughts about the nature of a three group performance.
“I thought it was really moving to hear all the great pieces that each group played, and I really appreciate [Lexington High School’s] dedication to the arts, as the product is so beautiful,” Patel said.
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