Lafayette High School Orchestra performed their Winter Concert on December 12, 2024, at 7:00 PM in the Beeler Auditorium. The concert lasted about 1.5 hours, ending at 8:30 in the evening. The orchestra is divided into four levels: Chamber, Symphonic, Concert, and String. The Chamber and Symphonic orchestras performed in a full orchestra (with winds, brass and percussion). They performed pieces such as “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “The Polar Express,” and “Sleigh Ride.” The Concert orchestra performed “In the Bleak Midwinter”, and “Baltic Dance.” The String orchestra performed “Dance of the Reed Pipes,” and “To the Moon and Back.”
Freshman student Yuki Mason is in the String Orchestra and told The Times before the concert, “My favorite piece for our winter concert is ‘To The Moon and Back’, because of how pretty it is. I am excited to perform it.” Many orchestra students were excited to show their talents and hard work from the past semester.
The Times also interviewed orchestra teachers Mr. Breeck and Mr. Kent about the upcoming concert. They said, “I always feel some nervousness in the days leading up to a concert, the students are ready. The students have worked to prepare the music and it’s going to be a solid performance from each of the groups.” When asked what their favorite piece of the concert was, they responded “It’s a toss-up between ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ and ‘Sleigh Ride’.”
A surprise guest conductor, Dr. Orr, helped lead the students of the Chamber and Symphonic orchestras in playing Sleigh Ride. Dressed in a sparkly suit, he led the orchestra students in an outstanding performance. Another surprise featured band students playing along with the orchestra, wearing horse heads as they played the horse sound in Sleigh Ride. The audience found both surprises very amusing, with laughter erupting during the performance.
The atmosphere of the concert was one of joy and celebration. The Beeler Auditorium was filled with parents, friends, teachers, and more who were all there to support the orchestra students. Overall, the concert was a success, with outstanding performances from all orchestras. The concert showcased the students’ musical abilities, hard work, humor and ability to have fun while performing. The orchestras look forward to their next performance, eager to continue their musical education.
