Orchestra Concert Preview

By: Arianna Dayoub '32

The LMMS orchestra winter concert is coming soon. The winter concert is going to be performed by students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. All the students playing instruments will work together to make beautiful music. Now onto what will be playing.

The orchestra students will be playing 5 orchestral pieces and 2 pieces of chamber music. The 5 orchestral pieces are Quintus, Cornwall Christmas Tiding, Boom Whacker Christmas, Polar Vortex, and Joyous Christmas. The chamber music being Jesu Joy of Man Desiring and Charlie Brown Christmas. 

Quintus is composed by Larry Clark.  Quintus is a fast tempo music piece in D major. The music is lively and joyful and it makes you want to listen to it. It sounds like the beginning of a Christmas movie. It is a piece you do not want to miss. 

Cornwall Christmas Tidings is composed by Jeff Frizzi. Cornwall Christmas Tidings is a mix of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. It has an adagio rhythmic beat. It's a vivid song you would want to dance to on Christmas morning. The grand finale is something you don't want to miss.

Boomwacker Christmas is composed by Richard Meyer.  Boomwacker christmas is a song where the cellos and bases play the intro and the teachers walk in to be lightly hit with a boomwacker. When the person pulls out the big boomwacker. The conductor says “no,no,no” and the person playing the boomwacker says “aw, man” and pulls out their normal boomwacker. But onto the song the song starts on pizzicato then goes back back to arco and goes back and goes back and forth with pizzicato and arco. The boomwackers playing the melody.  With the sound of the music it's a mix of deck the halls and its own unique sound. It has a powerful ending.

Polar Vortex is composed by Katie O’Hara LaBrie. Polar Vortex has a gentle constant melody. It has a slow and steady beat but not too slow for the audience. The music unfolds like a book waiting to be played. 

A Joyous Christmas is composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven.  It is written in Vivace tempo. The song builds up like a storm. The beat drops at perfect timings. The melody would be stuck in someone's head for days.

Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring is composed by J.S BACH. Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring is a song for advanced orchestra players. Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring is J.S Bach's most popular and  beloved piece. It was written in 1723 being around 300 years old. It gives you a rush of energy.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is composed by Larry Moore. A medley including Linus and Lucy, Christmas Time is Here, and O Tannenbaum. Its melody has a bright and joyful holiday style. It will keep you on the edge of your seats. 

We asked Mrs. Arnold about Chamber. She said, “Chamber is an auditioned  group of advanced string players. All grades may audition. Chamber music is more different and challenging and has stricter requirements for bowing and intonation.  Students have to practice more, they have to know advanced positions and have to be very aware of playing cohesively with the other players.”