High School Musicians Aim to Fill Orcas Center

Thursday, June 5, 7 p.m., Orcas Center

— from Kristen Wilson —

Orcas High School musicians will present their final concert of the school year on Thursday, June 5 at Orcas Center at 7 p.m. The concert is FREE and everyone is invited. “We have on Orcas Island,” said Pamela Wright, High School Strings Music Director, “some of the finest high school musicians in Northwest Washington. So wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could fill Orcas Center on Thursday night to celebrate these young musicians!”

Five groups will be performing at the concert. The Choir Club will perform, as well as Orcas High School Strings, Orcas High School Band and Orcas Youth Orchestra (combined group of strings and band). And for the first time ever, we’ll hear an all-grades (1st through 12th and 44-kids-strong) string performance of the early Suzuki composition, Song of the Wind. “This is a song that all of our advanced string musicians learned when they were first starting out on their instruments, and to see them play this with all of our up-and-coming string players will be a magical moment.”

The Choir Club will sing the beautiful Irish melody, May the Road Rise to Meet You. The High School Strings will play a varied program: Edward Elgar’s masterpiece Sospiri, the contemporary Archangel, written by Phoenix and Bergersen and orchestrated by our very own Brigid Ehrmantraut, J.S. Bach’s Prelude and Fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier, and, in celebration of their recent performance trip to Disneyland – selections from the movies Brave and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.

The High School Band is excited about premiering its newest addition to the band – a beautiful new Adams xylophone, donated by the Music Advocacy Group. The xylophone will be played during Randall Standridge’s thrilling Aggressivo – true to its name. Also on the program are Thunderer, one of John Philip Sousa’s most endearing and popular marches; the spirited overture Abington Ridge, and several movements from Gustav Holst’s exceptional Second Suite in F.

The Orcas Youth Orchestra will conclude the program with Elsa’s Procession, a masterpiece of expression from Richard Wagner, arranged by Bocook; Howard Shore’s expansive symphonic suite The Lord of the Rings, arranged by Whitney; and David Shire’s Manhattan Skyline written for the movie Saturday Night Fever.

The Orcas High School Strings and Orcas High School Band have consistently received top ratings at regional music contests. “Our high school students come to school at 7:20 a.m. every morning, Monday through Friday, to rehearse,” said Darren Dix. “And we encourage everyone to come out and listen to the results of their hard work.”