On November 20, 2016 North Hills High School hosted one of its annual concerts featuring the High School’s chamber orchestra and symphonic orchestra, as well as the middle school’s orchestras. Symphonic Orchestra’s pieces oriented towards Christmas, with songs such as the famous “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson. They also performed “Overture to Nabucco,” a very well-known classical arrangement, and “Grand March from Tannhauser.” Orchestra was overjoyed to be able to play with so many others from the wind and percussion sections.

Lexi Mandell, a junior in the orchestra says, “It’s always so much fun to have all of us together and we can still put on a great performance. I’m really happy with how it turned out and I can’t wait until we come all together again for our next performance.” When asked what her favorite group to perform with was she replied with, “I love working with each group, but my favorite would have to be symphonic. It’s so energizing to look around on stage surrounded by all of these very talented people and get the realization that you’re one of them. That’s what really pushes me through.”

At the end of their concert, as Anna Sluis-Cremer stood in front of the standing crowd, she remarks how “Every rehearsal we go through, every period in orchestra we spend pays off.” As the students walked off the stage, relief flooding though them, it was easily visible to see they thought the performance went just as well as the audience did.