MSO Plays Final Concert of Season
Jensen Lassiter
On Sunday, May 7, students gathered in Cordier Auditorium to hear the final orchestra event of the semester. Students secured VIA credit as they listened to the Manchester Symphony Or-chestra perform.
A first year, Emily Lynn, who performed as a Second violinist recalled how much work the entire Orchestra put into the preparations for the final concert. "The orchestra rehearses once a week for 2 hours,” Lynn said in an email. “We had a mini concert for the elementary schools in the county last week, so that also gave us some extra practice. It was actually pretty relaxed, be-cause we had the entire semester to work on the concert. We worked on different movements in each rehearsal and eventually built up the stamina to play the entire piece."
Sophomore Tiffany Hanna, also a Second Violinist, experiences some physical challenges with her preparation. "I have not been playing as long as most of the other orchestra players, only three and a half years, so I always try to practice at least 4 hours a week outside of rehearsal,” she said. “That was almost impossible for this concert due to problems with my wrist, which made it impossible to play without pain. Since we played Beethoven's Fifth, I caved and got a cortisone shot so I could play easier. I refused to sit out!"
Lynn and Hanna both agreed that the concert overall was a huge success. "Leading up to the event was stressful because of the extra rehearsal on May Day weekend and the mini concert all in the same week,” Lynn said.
The orchestra includes members from the local community as well as members of the student body working together to create a larger company.
"For me personally, I was happy because I didn't forget any repeats and I played the key signa-tures correctly!" Lynn said. "My goals were to play in tune because those key signatures were a nightmare for string players!"
Hanna felt that final concert was a thrill. "I can't speak for anyone else, but it far exceeded my expectations,” she said. “I have never dreamed of playing this level of music, and sometimes I still think I'm dreaming."
Naturally, spending so much time repeating and perfecting pieces, one begins to develop his or her own favorite piece. "My favorite piece was the Mozart, because I love to hear Elizabeth, our concert master, play,” Lynn said.
Hanna said: "My favorite was Beethoven's Fifth. I have always loved listening to his music, and it is amazing to actually play it."