SEQUIM — The Sequim Community Orchestra, now in its 11th season, will present its 2023 Family Concert featuring special guests, the Sequim Community Youth Orchestra on Saturday.
The concert will be at 2 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., Sequim. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.
While public performances and group rehearsals were curtailed or cancelled in 2020 and 2021, the orchestra still had groups working on quartets, socially distanced and masked, and students had online lessons available.
With the reopening of social events during 2022, the SCO came back together as a full ensemble.
“We’re all so glad to be able to perform in front of a live audience once again,” said Phil Morgan-Ellis, music director. “Live music is a wonderful experience for the audience, but it also adds so much to our experience as musicians. The audience is always a part of the performance.”
Said board President Justin Knobel: “We were able to keep our programs moving forward, and with grant funding from the Clallam EDC and ARTSWA, we were also able to stay fiscally healthy. This season is one for celebrating being back together.”
Saturday’s matinee program is a mix of modern tunes and very recognizable classical pieces.
“You know how Beethoven’s Fifth opens,” Morgan-Ellis said. “Do you know how it ends?”
The ensemble will perform the finale to this famous symphony, and will also play Mozart’s Musical Joke, which answers the question, “What would Mozart sound like if he tried to write poorly?”
Also on the program is the Rainbow Connection, written by Paul Williams for Kermit The Frog, as well as the theme to HBO’s series Game of Thrones, written by Ramin Djawadi.
Students from the Sequim Community Youth Orchestra have a new instructor for this year, Sara Baldwin. She will direct them as they perform mid-concert.
“This is a concert performed by musicians of all ages, for an audience of all ages,” Morgan-Ellis said.
Members of the SCO Ensemble as well as parents and students of the SCYO will have home-baked treats for sale after the performance, to help raise money to purchase quarter- and half-sized instruments for use by the youngest students. The SCO has, since its inception, maintained a selection of loaner instruments that are borrowed at no cost to families.
To learn more about the Sequim Community Orchestra or Youth Orchestra, see www.sequimcommunity orchestra.org, or contact Knobel at president@sequim communityorchestra.org.
