High School Chamber Strings Present Concert
Ponca City Now - April 30, 2015 12:10 pm
The Ponca City High School Chamber Strings will take to the stage to present their Spring Concert at 7:45 p.m. May 5 in the High School Howell Auditorium.
This predominantly 9th grade orchestra, made up of 28 string musicians, will be conducted by Katie Rolf and Dan Larson. They are assisted by Paula Cochran.
This is the first time the Chamber Strings Orchestra will present a concert alone. They have always been attached to a concert with another organization. There is no admission charge and the public is invited.
Works being conducted by Dan Larson include Danse Infernale by Elliott Del Borgo, The Idylls of Pegasus by Richard Meyer, and Zooster’s Breakout by Hans Zimmer, arranged for string orchestra by Paul Lavender. The Idylls of Pegasus depicts the adventures of the wondrous winged horse of Greek mythology. Performing the solos are violinist Jenna Wynes and cellist Cassidy Broome. Zooster’s Breakout comes from the “Madagascar” animated movies.
T he chamber ensemble that earned a superior or 1 rating at OSSAA State Solo and Ensemble Contest in April will also be featured on the concert. Rolf will conduct this 16-member group on Artemis Rising (based on the strong Greek goddess) by Jeffrey S. Bishop.
Rolf will be conducting four additional selections with the orchestra. They are Baroque Encounter by Richard Stephan, Arabian Dreams by Soon Hee Newbold, and Themes from the Moldau by Bedrich Smetana (arranged by Robert Frost). Newbold was influenced by legends of the Middle East in her work. The piece depicts a fiery sunrise, castle spires, and elegant horses at a desert oasis. Smetana uses tone painting to evoke the sounds of one of Bohemia’s great rivers. The composition describes the course of the Moldau river and what it hears along its path.
Rolf will conclude with Music from The Lion King from the Disney animated movie composed by Hans Zimmer, and arranged by Calvin Custer. Included in the medley is This Land, I Just Can’t Wait to be King, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, and Circle of Life .
The Chamber Strings Orchestra has worked hard and had an excellent year. They earned a 2 rating at the OSSAA High School State String Orchestra Contest in November. In March they combined with the East Orchestra to earn all 1 ratings in concert at OSSAA District Large Group Contest and a 2 in Sight-Reading.
