Every year brings chances to show off the hard work put forward by the Fort Scott High School Orchestra, but some opportunities are more exclusive than others. This year, five students out of the orchestra’s thirty-two musicians were selected to go to Kansas Wesleyan University (KWU) in Salina and perform in an Honors Orchestra.
The musicians spent their entire Saturday on the KWU campus. There was an initial two-hour rehearsal before everyone was led to the brand-new cafeteria for a free brunch. Then, the students and their advisors were given a tour of the private university’s campus. Eventually, the musicians were allowed back into the rehearsal and performance space–Sam’s Chapel–and were permitted to practice while they waited for the final run-through of the music. When the time came, the musicians left the stage to change into their concert attire–the traditional black (and sometimes white) of an Orchestra–and returned to the stage at 5 pm for the performance.
The concert was opened by the energetic piece Borrowed Freedom, which was composed by the conductor’s wife about her three horses. Following this were the pieces Swing Low, Sweet Chariot and Ocean Storm, which allowed for very little breathing room, with their fast tempos and intense rhythms. The performance was closed out by the iconic piece Orpheus in the Underworld, which may not have been obviously familiar by reading the name, but was really the well-known Can Can.
The FSHS Orchestra may have provided only a small fraction of the ensemble as a whole, but the FSHS students were instrumental in the success of the performance. Junior Stewart Davenport and senior Caroline Barnes brought their experience and skill to the violin sections. Sophomore John Ravenscraft sat second chair in the cello section and helped the first chair to guide them. Junior Sypher Cannon and sophomore Kellen Pool stood at first and second chair respectively and made up half of the bass section.
All in all, our five students experienced a special opportunity to play on Saturday, Oct 26 and they rose to the occasion. They had fun and learned a lot. They gave a performance that can be watched on the KWU Student Media YouTube channel. They came back with experiences and memories that are unlikely to be forgotten. They gave it their all. They represented us well.
