In many years past, the district-wide Vertical Concert brought together the Arcadia High School (AHS) and middle school symphonies for a showcase performance. With so many schedule conflicts, it’s rare that orchestra and band players get to rehearse together. But, as we have already learned, this year is not a typical year. 

“A couple weeks before the concert, which was supposed to go on in mid-February, many parents at the middle school were concerned because, at the time, less students were vaccinated,” said Ms. Pin Chen, director of the AHS Orchestras.

These concerns arose around January, when schools around the nation were experiencing the worst of the Omicron surge. Gathering together a large crowd, and the concerns of having dozens of wind players indoors, seemed unfeasible. So with that in mind, Ms. Chen and the middle school conductors made the decision to, yet again, indefinitely postpone the Vertical Concert.

 Instead, the high school’s Symphony orchestra will be recording a video of Blue Danube by Johan Strauss II. The recordings will then be shown to middle school students who may not be experiencing the music from the Performing Arts Center, but will be able to get some insight about the music they will play at AHS. 

Jessie Zhu is a senior in Symphony Orchestra, and as such, it is also her last year being able to play with others in the orchestra. When she found out that this year’s recital would be canceled, Zhu was disappointed. 

“As a senior, the Vertical Concert is one of the last chances to play classical music together with this year’s orchestra,” she said. “I was hoping to enjoy the moment of playing with this group of players and showcasing the result of our hard work after months of preparation.”

She was also surprised to hear about this decision, since it seemed that everything was “going to be closer to ‘back to normal.’” 

Sophomore Edward Ma is an oboist in Concert Band, and had a less negative view of the canceled concert.

“I think a recording will be more straightforward and organized,” he said. “It’s a bit disappointing…but it means this year we will be less pressured, which is relieving.”

However, anyone who is still interested in hearing the Arcadia Orchestras perform can still do so at the Spring Orchestra Concert. All four AHS string ensembles will be performing in the Performing Arts Center on Mar. 30. 

Symphony Orchestra will be playing Variations On A Theme by Tchaikovsky by Arensky, Danzas de Panama mvmt. 1 by William Grant Still, and Blue Danube by Johan Strauss. 

Concert Orchestra will be playing Acrobats by Richard Meyer and Danzas de Panama mvt 2, 3, 4 by William Grant Still. String Orchestra will perform Southwest Serenade by Richard Meyer, Tico Tico by Zequinha de Abreu, and Contrasts in E minor by Francis Feese. 

Lastly, Premier Orchestra will be playing Isma’A arr. L. Darling, La Paloma by Sebastian Yradier arr. Longfield, and Russian Fantasy by Susan H. Day.

Tickets for the Spring Orchestra Concert will go out for sale later in the month, but definitely do come to support the AHS Orchestras!

Photo courtesy of the 2019 Orchestra Council Historians