With the year coming to a close in just a few weeks, the CHS orchestra intends to end on a high note. To this effect, they hosted their annual Spring Concert to celebrate their progress this year, as well as feature some star members. 

The responsibilities some students have, however, will be changed at this concert. Senior Luke O’Neill discusses how some members of the orchestra will be taking on a special role in the performance. 

“There’s going to be a few student conductors,” O’Neill said. “We will have Jancy Jimenez conducting Concerto Grosso and we’re also going to have Maya Pena conducting Swamp Thing, and then Vassilios Dresios is conducting the Vivaldi Cello Concerto in G minor.” 

As well as featuring current students, the concert brought back members from prior years. As stated by senior Caitlyn Lewis, this is a way to make up for years prior. 

“This concert is actually going to be an alumni concert so some alumni that graduated during COVID are actually going to come back and play with us during the concert,” Lewis said.

The pandemic hasn’t just affected alumni and graduating members, however. Freshman Ivan Vo also reflects on the impact that canceling concerts had on students over the years. 

“The last time this kind of concert was able to take place was 3 years ago, before COVID started,” Vo said. “The last concert before the pandemic was around February, they didn’t have their alumni concert back then. It’s been quite a while now. It’s really been one of our favorite concerts because the juniors had never experienced this, sophomores and freshmen either.”

The students also found the concert to be special in ways other than the timing. As Lewis stated, the song selection was also unique. 

“One of the pieces that we’re playing is from our competition festival and it’s 17 minutes long,” she said. “It’s called Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis, and it’s basically this very interesting and very long piece. It’s meant to be played in a church and it has multiple different parts within it.”

This piece isn’t just long, it’s also difficult. Vo discusses the skill level required to play the piece. 

 “This song is considered a college-level song,” Vo said. “It has 4 soloists, which are 2 violinists, 1 cello, and 1 viola. They were absolutely amazing and really good at their jobs.”  

The performers were extremely satisfied with their performance at this concert. It especially carried sentimental value for seniors such as O’Neill, who gave their last performance during this event.

“Being in the class of ‘22, it means a lot for me,” O’Neill said. “We worked very hard for it, and everything just sounds amazing.”