The Bellaire High School Orchestra held their annual Halloween-themed concert in the auditorium on Oct. 7 with over 70 audience members in attendance.
The Bellaire Lyrica Orchestra opened up the performance, playing “Fancy Fiddles” written by Mark Williams. Made up of mostly freshmen, Lyrica played in their first high school orchestra performance. Lyrica also played pieces such as “Gaelic Castle” written by Soon Hee Newbold and “King’s Court” written by Susan Day.
“It was a little nervewracking,” freshman violinist Karen Burch said. “I feel like we did our best, and I enjoyed it.”
After Lyrica performed their three pieces, they received applause from the audience. The Bellaire Philharmonic Orchestra was second in line to play after Lyrica. Being the largest orchestra level in size with 36 players, the Philharmonic had at least three players in every instrument section. Although the stage was filled, there were still some performance nerves for senior cellist Kashika Adhikari.
“I always have a fear [that] my bow is going to drop out of my hands,” Adhikari said. “It’s just anxious thoughts and then trying to focus myself back on the music.”
One of the Philharmonic’s pieces was “Pirates of the Caribbean” written by Hans Zimmer and arranged by Ted Ricketts. Mixed moments of fast and slow paced speed were the main component of the piece, providing a defining contrast through a “sea of pirates.”
“I think it was very dynamic,” Adhikari said. “It had all sorts of sounds, and I enjoyed the complexity of them.”
The Philharmonic finished their performance for the night playing “Tipping Point” written by Robert Longfield. This final piece started off slow but then progressed into a climatic “tipping point” where the violins and violas contrasted dynamically and harmonically with the cellos and basses. The cellos and basses provided a rhythmic foundation for the song while violins and violas took control of the melody. After receiving applause, yells and shouts from the crowd, the Bellaire Sinfonia Orchestra came up as the final orchestra to end the night.
Sinfonia first performed “Fright Night” arranged by Larry Moore. Sinfonia was accompanied by senior pianist Akhil Baker, who provided smooth transitions and rhythm for the orchestra. The second piece Sinfonia played was “Serenade for Strings, Mvt. 1” written by Josef Suk. This piece, which portrayed different emotions and moods for the audience, was senior violist Riley Chang’s favorite piece of the performance.
“I think [I] especially [like] the development part, the second section, where it switches to a faster tempo and triplets on every single section,” Chang said. “I think that really creates a whole new unexpected color to a usual serenade song.”
Sinfonia’s last piece was “Concerto Grosso No. 1, Mvt. 1” written by Ernest Bloch. However, since Sinfonia is composed of many seniors, this was the last high school fall concert that they would perform. Heartfelt emotion and bittersweet feelings were present as this was one of the last times they would all perform together.
“It is sad that I won’t be here again, but I [am] happy because there [are] some new freshmen that are really talented,” Chang said. “I think that they will carry the torch past me, and I feel assured with that.”
After all the orchestras completed their performances, a costume contest was held for the players. To determine the winner of the costume contest, votes were taken based on the volume of the audience’s cheers. In the last two competitors, philharmonic cellist Christepher Colbert and sinfonia bassist Alexander Gomez faced each other. Colbert won the contest as he dressed as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
“I definitely did not expect to win the contest at all,” Colbert said. “Winning the contest reminded me that stepping out of your shell can surprise you with a great feeling.”
Orchestra concerts are also huge from the audience’s perspective. For the mother of philharmonic violinist Seetha Venkatachalam, she sees orchestra concerts as a time to observe the improvements and progress of the players throughout the year. She has appreciated music more by attending Bellaire’s orchestra concerts.
“I really like seeing how you [can] come and support the kids,” parent Meena Venkatachalam said. “Seeing how they perform helps you go and make sure you support your kid at home.”
Through the hard work and dedication that the students put in, there are also challenges that arise throughout the process of piecing the concert together, according to Bellaire Orchestra Director Laurette Reynosa. Besides the fact that many of the students are new to high school and are still getting to know each other, the variation of skill within the orchestras also creates an obstacle.
“We spend a lot of time at the beginning of the year assessing skill level and trying to figure out pieces that work the best for each group.” Reynosa said. “Once this concert is finished, I always have a better idea of what each group is capable of and what skills we need to focus on.”
Despite the obstacles the orchestras have encountered through this first half of the school year, this fall concert was still an enjoyable experience and a great first concert to reminisce on according to Reynosa.
“I always want my concerts to be a place where audience members can just sit back and enjoy the music and let the daily stress melt away,” Reynosa said. “I know they love seeing their children up on stage as well.”
