The SVMS 8th-grade orchestra has been hosting an event at Walk Hall called String-Fest for quite some time. This event brings together schools from Jackson, Star Valley, and Driggs, Id, where students learn three pieces of music in advance and spend a full day rehearsing together before performing a concert that evening.
This year, Walk Hall decided to expand the event by introducing a high school String-Fest alongside the 8th-grade festival. Unfortunately, Driggs will not be participating in the high school event, but schools from Jackson and Star Valley will take part.
The orchestras are preparing three pieces to perform together: Hungarian Dance No. 5 by Johannes Brahms, Forever Joyful by Brian Balmages, and Elementa by Soon Hee Newbold. Lisa Barber, the orchestra teacher and conductor, shared her enthusiasm for this year’s event: “I am excited to have our students work with a new conductor. Our guest conductor is Lorien Hart, a professional violinist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. I know she will bring great ideas and energy to our performance, as well as offer our students new techniques or perspectives that they can continue to apply in their playing.”
Lorien Hart will visit SVHS on March 18 to work with the orchestras, ensuring the students are familiar with her conducting style before the event.
On March 19, the SVHS orchestras will travel to Walk Hall to meet the Jackson orchestra and rehearse for their concert at the end of the day. Freshman Josey O’Donnell, first chair viola in Concert Orchestra, said, “All I know is I’m going to be yapping with the Jackson kids half the time and hopefully getting first or second chair with the solo.”
String-Fest provides a fantastic opportunity for orchestra students to connect with others who share their passion for music while also pushing themselves to improve.
The SVHS orchestras have had to work especially hard to prepare for the event. Because they had a concert just three weeks prior, they didn’t receive their String-Fest music until the day after that performance—leaving them with only three weeks to learn the pieces. Fortunately, the Concert Orchestra had already played Hungarian Dance No. 5 at their recent concert, so they are already familiar with that particular arrangement.
String-Fest promises to be a memorable and rewarding experience for all involved, showcasing the dedication and talent of these young musicians.
SVHS Orchestra Hard at Work Preparing for String-Fest
