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The sight of an orchestra is a wonder to behold in and of itself. The mass of bows gliding across the taut strings of violas, the silver glint of the flutes, the shimmering brass in the background – it’s all a lot to take in. It easily becomes apparent as to how someone who is hearing impaired can still visually enjoy an orchestra performance.
People of all ages packed the seats of Minsky Hall for the fall concert of the University of Maine Orchestra. The orchestra opened with an overture to the Opera, “Ifigenia in Aulis”, an opera based in Greek mythos. This captivated the audience from the very beginning. The plethora of instruments all in splendid unison was enough to give goose bumps to even the most stoic of concert attendees. This piece was followed by the march from the opera, “Russian and Ludmilla”. The soft chiming of the bells added a magical undertone to this beautiful composition. Steve Johnson’s trumpet solos during the “Concerto for Trumpet and Orchestra” was a skilled display of his instrument. A highlight of the performance would undoubtedly be Mozart’s “Concerto for Flute and Harp,” featuring Sarah Evans on flute and Molly Nichols on harp. Those two instruments together blend a sound that could be described as heavenly at the very least.
“I was very excited about [the performance],” Dr. Anatole Wieck, the conductor for the Orchestra, said. “We open the group to musicians of all ages to give everyone an opportunity to play.”
The UMaine orchestra certainly had members that varied in age from young to older, which made up a well-oiled ensemble.
Orchestra trumpet player Catti Trust said after the performance, “I thought it went very well. Some things even went better than expected [and] all around, it was a lot of fun.”
There will be another orchestra performance in April and there are many University musical events throughout the school year in both Minsky Recital Hall and the Maine Center for the Arts, including the Orchestra, Symphonic Band, University Singers, Athena Consort, Black Bear Men’s Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Music and Percussion Ensemble and others. Anyone who has never been to one of these events should attend. Unlike many forms of entertainment today, music speaks to the heart, even the very soul of the audience member. For many music lovers, music that is closer to the classical style holds even more of that enlightening quality.
