On the evening of Thursday, Feb. 27, both the Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra combined with First, Second, and Third Band to create passionate full orchestras that played their hearts out on the Raymond E. Hartfield Performing Arts Center (PAC) stage. The soothing melodies of bows caressing the strings weaved harmoniously with the powerful bursts of the band instruments, filling the stage with long-lasting echoes of their expertise. 

Philharmonic Orchestra showcased a compelling performance of The Great Locomotive Chase by Robert W. Smith, displaying their mastery and technique. While the string players tackled fast sixteenth notes, the band players worked in unison to recreate an almost indistinguishable sound from a train’s whistle. When the last note rang throug hout the auditorium, the full orchestra received a standing ovation.. 

“Having the band and the orchestra play together let us play loud like the band [but] also soft and smooth like the orchestra and made the loud parts of the piece where the train ‘crashed’ and the soft parts describing the hiding and escaping sound different and exciting,” Lasya Gudibanda ‘27 said.  “By playing together, we had a large ensemble which made the vocal sound effects like the steam from the train sound a lot cooler.” 

The sarcastic feel of Troika from Lieutenant Kije Suite by Sergei Prokofiev caught the attention of listeners down below as the Philharmonic Orchestra opened strong with powerful, boastful notes. After a dramatic finish, they brought pathos into their second piece, Irish Tune From County Derry by Percy Aldridge Grainger. Despite some tempo issues and difficulty with leading and hearing certain sections, the full orchestra was still able to deliver a breathtaking performance.

“Irish Tune had a slow tempo and [unfamiliar] rhythmic techniques [so] it was especially hard to match it with other [students] to create a good sound,” Taehyun Kim’27 said. “This was a learning curve, but our orchestra quickly overcame it.”

The Philharmonic Orchestra closed with a final piece called English Dances by Malcolm Arnold. The four movements within the piece each had its personality, ranging from lively to powerful and heroic. 

“The most memorable part was probably the 3rd movement of English Dances. In the second portion of the [movement], the 1st violins played with more [feeling] than ever, helping us create a ‘together sound’. I [could feel] goosebumps while playing [through it],” Kim said.

The Symphony Orchestra and First Band came together, breathing life to the stage with Jupiter from The Planets by Gustav Holst as the evening came to an end. Its powerful, bold entrance excited the audience and set the stage for the following complicated pieces: The Pines of Rome, mvt. III. and The Pines of Janiculum both by Ottorino Respighi, and Symphony No. 7, mvt. IV by Antonín Dvořák.

“My favorite piece was [Symphony No. 7 mvt. IV] because of the dynamic contrast between sections of the pieces and the powerful ending, which made it a fun piece to play and listen to,”  Sarah Lee ‘28 said. “I thought the collaboration with band was such a great experience with lots of beautiful playing. As a freshman, even though it was [a] very advanced repertoire, I really enjoyed playing this music with [the rest of the orchestra].”

All three full orchestras will take the stage again at the PAC on Tuesday, March 4th, for their UIL evaluation.