High School Musicians Present First Concert of the School Year

Thursday, December 4, at 7 p.m., Orcas Center

— from Kristen Wilson —

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Two of Northwest Washington’s highest rated high school music ensembles, the Orcas
High School Band and the Orcas High School Strings, will be presenting a “must-hear”
performance at Orcas Center on Thursday, December 4, at 7 p.m. The concert is free
and the community is encouraged to attend.

“We are fortunate on Orcas to have two excellent music teachers who, along with all
of our talented students, are presenting increasingly advanced and polished musical
performances,” said Catherine Pederson, President of the Music Advocacy Group. Just
last spring, the Orcas High School Band, under the direction of Darren Dix, was the
only band in its bracket to receive a “Superior” rating from both judges at a
Northwest Washington contest. The Orcas High School Strings, directed by Pamela
Wright, were awarded the top place among all string ensembles performing at a
contest for northwest-area schools in Bellingham.

Concertgoers on December 4 will hear the High School Band perform a humorous
intertwining of Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever with several holiday classics in
Robert Foster’s arrangement of Stars and Stripes for Christmas, Calvin Custer’s
percussive and Latin-style medley – Calypso Christmas, as well as Santa at the
Symphony – Mark Williams’ phenomenal blend of classical music themes (such as Eine
Kleine Nachtmusik) with seasonal melodies (such as Silent Night).

The High School Strings will perform the first movement of J.S. Bach’s familiar and
wonderful Concerto in D Minor – also known as the Bach Double, a lush and unique
setting of the English folksong Greensleeves, and A Mad Russian’s Christmas – an
inventive reinterpretation of The Russian Dance from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker.

The Orcas Strings and Band combine as the “Orcas Youth Orchestra” to play Wizards in
Winter from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra stage show, Santa’s Classical Christmas –
Mark Williams’ ingenious sequel to Santa At the Symphony, the show-stopping How the
Grinch Stole Christmas, and Handel’s triumphant Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah.
Audience members who have their own Messiah score are encouraged to bring it and
sing along.

This is the first in a trio of concerts by different Orcas music students this
winter. All concerts are free and open to the public. The next two concerts will be
December 11 and 18. Musicians from the 5th to 8th grade will perform on Thursday,
December 11, at 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria. The kindergarten to 4th grade
concert will take place on Thursday, December 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the old gym.