SEQUIM — Already, the idea of Sequim’s own orchestra is sparking a resounding response, its initiators say.
Well-known music teachers Lilias Green and Phil Morgan-Ellis are inviting musicians of all ages to join them in forming the Sequim Community Orchestra: a convergence of strings, brass, percussion and winds.
A first meeting is set for 7 p.m. tonight at the Sequim Bible Church, 847 Sequim Ave.
“All you need is an instrument and some note-reading ability, and the joy of playing great and fun music with others is yours,” Green writes in her announcement.
Musicians don’t have to live in Sequim, she said, adding that a number of players from both Port Angeles and the Dungeness Valley have expressed interest.
School-age youngsters, adults and seniors are all encouraged to look into the new orchestra, said Green, who teaches violin and viola lessons in Sequim and Port Angeles.
Morgan-Ellis added he has a good deal of experience working with inexperienced musicians and with seasoned players.
He founded and conducted the North Olympic Youth Symphony before moving to Costa Rica for four years.
After moving back home to the Olympic Peninsula, he’s heard from other teachers and students of a need for something new: a group in which instrumentalists can learn how to play their parts with grace in an orchestra.
This group is for those who aren’t yet able to perform with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra, Green added.
“A large part of the meeting on Tuesday is about figuring out what level the orchestra will be,” Morgan-Ellis said.
“We’ll see who shows up and what the level of commitment and interest is.”
Green estimated that Sequim Community Orchestra members will devote about two hours per week to the rehearsals.
She envisions annual concerts, and for some, “graduation” to the Port Angeles Symphony.
“There is considerable support,” Green noted, “from individual musicians and supporters of the Port Angeles Symphony, who have offered to help.”
To find out more about the nascent Sequim Community Orchestra, phone 360-681-5469 or 360-775-9984.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-417-3550 or at diane.urbani@
peninsuladailynews.com.
