The CLHS String Orchestra has just concluded on a great first half of the school year! We spent the first semester working toward two big concerts.
Our first concert was held in November. The high school string orchestra played a variety of pieces ranging from Christmas music, Patriotic, and even a Spanish bullfight. Along with the high school orchestra, the Lutheran Grade School orchestra program participated in this concert. There were more than 150 orchestra students that were a part of the concert. It was so exciting to see the auditorium filled full of friends and families to watch all of the groups perform!
Our second performance was a part of the Music Department’s “Christmas at the Embassy” where we got to share the stage with the bands and choirs.
The string orchestra opened up their performance with an exciting mash-up of “Joy to the World” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Ode to Joy.” The piece was called “Make a Joyful Noise.” Their second piece “Pacem Noel” was more subdued. It used the popular canon “Dona nobis pacem,” which means, “Grant Us Peace.” The piece also used the popular Christmas song, “The First Noel.”
The string orchestra concluded their portion of the concert with “Wenceslas,” which is based on the English Carol, “Good King Wenceslas.” The piece started out dark and mysterious, which grows in energy and turbulence, only to end with a joyous sound amongst the orchestra.
It, of course, wouldn’t be Christmas at the Embassy without the orchestra accompanying the choir/alumni and quite honestly, the whole Embassy Theater, for Handel’s “Messiah.”
The orchestra has already started working on pieces for second semester. It’s going to be a lot fun!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Brandon Eiler,
Director of Orchestra