High School Musicians Present First Concert of the School Year

Thursday, October 29, 7:30 p.m., High School Gym

— from Kristen Wilson —

Music is flourishing at Orcas Island Schools! The community is invited to the first High School music concert of the school year on Thursday, October 29, 7:30 p.m., in the High School Gym.

Followers of school music at Orcas will be pleased to see the growing number of students involved in our high school music groups. Both the Band (Darren Dix, Director) and Strings (Pamela Wright, Director) have doubled in size this year. With incoming freshmen and additional new students both groups are larger than they have ever been in recent memory. H.S. Band has surged from nine students last year to 20 students this year. H.S. Strings has also doubled in size from 10 to 20 students.

Concertgoers will hear the H.S. Strings perform the beautiful and familiar Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier by J.S. Bach, the unique harmonies of Camille Saint-Saens’ Adagio from Symphony No. 3, and the intriguingly titled Rosin Eating Zombies From Outer Space by Richard Meyer, a wild ride of a piece.

The High School Band will perform Adventures by Ayatey Shabazz with its syncopated rhythms and lush melodic lines, the rich and lyrical Yorkshire Ballad by James Barnes, and the combustible Critical Mass by Todd Stalter.

“While the growing size of our groups certainly presents some new challenges,” says Pamela Wright, Director of Strings, “it is a testament to the success of our program to see so many kids choose to be involved in high school music.”

“With the larger group, we are now able to truly play more complex and difficult music, which is excellent!” added Darren Dix, Director of Band.

The concert is free and the community is encouraged to attend – to support the students and to see the emergence of this new generation in school musicians at Orcas High School. School Music Matters!