Orchestra students from three different orchestra levels showcased their talents in the Winter Concert held on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at Hope Presbyterian Church. Each orchestra performed three different selections, with a harp duet in the middle, for family and friends.

“We did really well, considering we only had a few weeks to practice,” Samhita Guduri ’21 said. “The other orchestras did wonderful and I think we all put in our best effort.”

The evening began with the Camerata Orchestra who performed Water on Mars, composed by Kevin Sluder, which was a classical piece that had a large range of dynamics and a beautiful tapered ending. Next, the Camerata performed Heartstrings by Larry Clark, an engaging, melodious, and slow piece. The Camerata Orchestra’s performance was concluded by The Abilene Stage by M.L. Daniels. Head Orchestra Director, Mr. Joshua Thompson, and Associate Director, Mr. Justin Anderson, both conducted the Camerata on different selections.

“I think overall as a group we did really well,” Serena Manwani ‘22 said. “Although I think sometimes we did better in class, this concert displayed our talent and hard work pretty well.”

Shortly after, the Concert Orchestra performed their first selection, Wayland Overture by Michael Hopkins, which was an energetic and engaging piece. They also performed Adagio from Symphony no.3, “Organ” by Camille Saint-Saens, and arranged by Emile Bernard and Joseph Goodwin. Their final piece performed by the Concert Orchestra was Bold Venture by M.L. Daniels, featuring a melodious high string line and broad, expansive low strings. Following the Concert Orchestra performance, a harp piece, titled Tango by Carlos Salcedo, was performed by Durri Fatimah ‘20 and Margaret Fisher ‘20.

“I thought all of the orchestras did really good,”Junna Castel ’20 said. “It was a different atmosphere that we played in so it was really echoey, but I think it brought out the slow songs. I thought we had a lot of fun.”

Finally, the Philharmonic Orchestra took the stage with their first piece, Allegro from Sinfonia no.1 by Felix Mendelssohn, followed by a slow piece, Elegy by Jack Jarrett. The last piece, Strange Humours, composed by John Mackey, caught the attention of the audience with its quirky sounds and special drum beats. The piece began with a unique solo on the violin, played by Anna Beatty ‘22, and transitioned into an upbeat symphony accompanied by a djembe, performed by Liam Benner ‘21. After a long moment of applause for the performance, students began to file out of the church.

“I think we did well in general, and as did the other orchestras,” Angela Chen ‘20 said. “The drums were a cool addition to our piece and really captured the audience’s attention. Overall, it was a great performance.”

The Westwood Orchestra’s next performance will be on Saturday, Dec.1 at 5:00 p.m. at the Round Rock ISD Performing Arts Center, for the TMEA Region 26 All-Region Orchestra, featuring 46 Westwood Orchestra students.