On Saturday Oct. 26, Evergreen Philharmonic performed their Season Premiere at the Longman Performing Arts Center. The night began with a performance from the Middle School Honors Orchestra conducted by Pine Lake Middle School Orchestra Director Cindy Elder. The Middle School Orchestra played “Cincopations” by Richard Meyer and “The Evil Eye and the Hideous Heart” by Alan Lee Silva. Both songs had dramatic and operatic tones which encapsulated the theme for the rest of the performances.
Conducted by Director Leah Weitzsacker, Evergreen began the night with “Overture from The Barber of Seville” by Gioacchino Rossini, a piece from the opera “The Barber of Seville.” This piece was a uplifting, energetic, and whimsical piece that really showcased the strength of the strings and winds. They then transitioned into the piece “Danse Bacchanale” by Camille Saint-Saens, another operatic piece that provided a bit faster short notes and felt wild in a sense with an emphasis on the percussion. The next piece was quite special in that Evergreen gave a taste of their season finale symphony piece “Symphony No.2 in B Minor I. Allegro” by Alexander Borodin. This was quite a long piece that highlighted the incredible musical artistry and skill that Evergreen is known for and gave a good overview for what audiences can expect in May. Finally they ended the night with “Nabucco Overture” by Giuseppe Verdi, a bit more of a slow piece but ended with a dramatic final burst of energy that gave each section of the Orchestra their own moments.
When asked about the performance, Director Leah Weitzsacker commented, “I think our performance was fantastic, the orchestra peaked at the performance and it was a lot of fun!” Weitzsacker also adds that the wind players and percussion added a lot of dynamite to the performance. In the perspective of the students about the performance, junior Yeonu Kim shares that “For me, I think I played some notes with not so great tone quality and made mistakes on a few spots. I think there were some mistakes here and there in the orchestra but did not heavily affect our performance.” In all, Kim says that she felt great about the performance and lots of things went better than expected. Additionally, junior Carenna Rutledge said her favorite piece of the night was “Danse Bacchanale” because “it sounds unique and has a nice percussion aspect to it.”
Overall, the Season Premiere was an enjoyable start to the performance season, and one that set a high standard for the rest of the year. The concert showcased impressive talent and energy, leaving audiences excited for what is to come. With diverse and expressive pieces, the evening was captivating and entertaining and it is clear that this season holds promise and many memorable moments.
As to what audiences can expect for the next performance, Evergreen will have their next concert on Jan. 18 called Evening at the Pops. Weitzsacker teases that the performance will feature a soloist by an Evergreen alumni which will certainly be a special highlight to the performance. So if you missed the Season Premiere make sure to come support Evergreen at their next performance and stay tuned!
