MS Honors Orchestra

The 2025 MS Honors Orchestra Chair is Sara Jager. Please direct any questions to sjager@4hcs.org

Oct 21, 2024 Update:

This year's event will be a bit different than past years:

• It will be a combined event with both Middle School Honors Bands

• The event will include a premiere of a newly commissioned work by Rob Grice, performed by the combined Honors Orchestra and the 8th Grade Honors Band.

EVENT DATE and LOCATION

Saturday, Feb 1, 2025  (Snow Date: Sunday, Feb 2)

Jenison Center for the Arts  (address is 8375 20th Ave, Jenison, but please use the entrance and parking lot around the corner on Bauer Rd.)

Jenison Junior High School  (8295 20th Ave, Jenison)

SCHEDULE

10:15am - Arrive at Jenison Junior High School

10:30am - Full Group Rehearsal

12:00pm - Lunch (bring your own)

12:30pm - Sectionals

1:45pm - Break (walk to JCA)

2:00pm - Watch featured performance

2:45pm - Full Group Rehearsal

4:15pm - Pizza Dinner (provided)

4:45pm - Take everything to JCA, change into concert attire

5:30pm - Onstage Rehearsal and Combined Rehearsal with Honors Band

6:30pm - Break and Take seats in auditorium

7:00pm - Concert (7th Band, 8th Band, Orchestra, Combined Piece)

8:15pm - Done

GUEST CONDUCTOR

Mr. Burke Lokey 

FEE

$25 Total for each student (includes a pizza dinner)

LITERATURE

• Presto, Sheldon

• Rhosymedre, Vaughan-Williams/Wagner

• Meer Winden - Bob Phillips 

• A Joyful Jubilee - by Rob Grice (Combined with the Honors Band!)

NOTE: Pdfs with preferred fingerings and bowings will be provided when student roster is posted. 

TIMELINE

Oct 21 - Nomination form sent to District 10 directors

Nov 11 - Nominations due via the Google Form below

Dec 11 - Roster Sent to Participating Teachers/Schools; Music parts (PDF) available online

Jan 10 - Confirmation and Payment Due to Chris Meyer for school's participants (no cash please!)

               (Late payments will incur a $10 per student late fee.)

STUDENT NOMINATIONS

Please note that we offer one honors ensemble each year. Teachers may feel free to nominate your most accomplished students, regardless of whether they are in 7th or 8th grade. In order to keep the orchestra at a manageable size and in order to better represent the distribution of our orchestra students throughout District 10, we are again using a “tiered” nomination system, like the honors band uses. The number of students you may nominate will depend on the number of total 7th and 8th Graders you have enrolled in your school’s orchestra program:

     - Programs with 40 or fewer students may nominate up to 2 students. 

     - Programs with 41-80 students may nominate up to 3 students.

     - Programs with 81-120 students may nominate up to 4 students.

     - Programs with more than 120 students may nominate up to 5 students. 

Each middle school is encouraged to nominate up to 2 alternates as well, that may get selected based on instrumentation needs. Please enter your most deserving students first in the nomination form. Please also try to prioritize violins, as our nominations have been bottom heavy the past several years. As you nominate, know that it's often likely that we can only accept one cellist from each school.

* Students should confirm with you that they are able to attend the event BEFORE you nominate them in the Google form.

**You should only nominate students who will be able to prepare the music independently and accurately ahead of time. (All First Violin nominations should be comfortable playing in 3rd position/and higher if possible) Students need to have a private teacher or orchestra teacher that will help them prepare the literature, so that all notes/rhythms/fingerings/bowings are learned in advance of the event date. If a student doesn't have a private teacher, this helper is YOU.  :)

Here is a link to the google nomination form: 

Nomination Form 

Here is a link to a sample nomination letter to give to students and families. Please feel free to use it if you'd like. 

Honors Orch Teacher Nomination Letter 2024/25

Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks!

• Sara Jager  (chair)