District 15, 211 students join for orchestra festival
Each fall, the orchestra conductors from District 15 junior high schools and District 211 Palatine and Fremd high schools bring their students together to learn as a community and introduce junior high students to the high school orchestra program.
Saturday, Oct. 24, marked the 30th annual D211/D15 Orchestra Festival and nearly 300 students across both districts participated.
Student preparation began in September. They practiced music in class and at home to be ready for this one-day event. Each of the junior high directors, Julie Quitschau (Plum Grove), Elizabeth Jordan (Winston Campus), Colleen Martinez (Carl Sandburg) and Kathy Ok, who is filling in while Jennifer Lee-Stewart is on maternity leave (Sundling), worked with their students to prepare them for the festival.
Fremd's director of orchestras, Marla Caballero, said, "It has been so exciting to see and hear the student growth that has taken place over these 30 years. The sound and musicality produced by the 300 orchestral musicians was powerful and inspiring. It was a pleasure to make music with these musicians. Music is powerful, and our hope is that all of the musicians who performed experienced music in a new way."
Rehearsals for the combined orchestras required some high tech solutions. Using Apple FaceTime, Fremd's conductor conducted the Palatine students from across town and Palatine's conductor, Dung Pham, similarly conducted the Fremd group from her home school.
Junior high students arrived midafternoon to participate in sections run by professional musicians, assisted by experienced Fremd and Palatine musicians.
Colleen Martinez, orchestra director at Carl Sandburg, said, "The festival is an incredible experience for both high school students and eighth-graders. The eight-graders are able to see what high school orchestra is like and learn from these students. They are already creating such a bond that will grow as the eighth-graders transition into high school. The best part is each group is brought together through one common factor: the love of music."
Afternoon rehearsal was followed by team building exercises and an additional rehearsal with all the participating students.
A pizza dinner, partially sponsored by Palatine's V.I.P. parent organization and the Fremd Music Association, was served in the Palatine High School cafeteria followed by a concert with all the students.
The following ensembles performed at the concert:
• D211/D15 combined orchestras opened with two pieces, including "Dance Macabre" by Camille Saint-Saens.
• The concert orchestras from Palatine and Fremd combined to play "Forever Joyful" by Brian Balmages.
• The high schools' philharmonic orchestras combined for "American Landscape" by Soon Hee Newbold.
• Palatine's symphony orchestra and Fremd's chamber strings combined for "Rhythm Dances," also by Brian Balmages.
• Fremd's symphony orchestra played "Serenade for Strings (IV. Finale)" by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
• The concert closed with the combined orchestra's playing "Carmina Burana" by Carl Orff.
More information about the Fremd and Palatine orchestra programs can be found on their websites: sites.google.com/a/d211.org/fremd-orchestras and sites.google.com/a/d211.org/palatine-high-school-orchestra
• Submit 'Your News' at www.dailyherald.com/share.