by Linley Mueller
The Centre Symphony Orchestra has just performed their last concert of the year! It was a great representation of the vast genres that are involved in the world of music. There was more variety in this concert than the average playlist, and the show was truly entertaining. The orchestra started off by coming onto the stage in matching marching band uniforms and top hats. To start the night, this was something the audience could relate to. Marching band attire did little to prepare for what was to come, though.
As the concert began, the first notes seemed to be familiar to most of the audience. The song that was played could soon be recognized as “Umbrella” by Rihanna. After realizing what was going on, the audience invited themselves to sing. The lyrics coursed through the space on stage, creating an echo effect that ignited applause and whistling from the crowd. Some people even got out light sticks in the shape of a violin bow, waving around the glowing torch as if to cheer on what was to come.
For the second song, the orchestra decided to do a little change-up. To throw everyone off and eliminate the idea of “theme”, they started playing “World’s Smallest Violin” by AJR. The single song eventually turned into a mashup of AJR songs, which lasted quite a while. This was the event of the night that received the most mixed signals. Some people sat down, and some swayed to the music. Then, immediately after that entire discography performance, the orchestra looked into the crowd, eye contact initiated. Confetti and balloons fell from the ceiling, sticking to the viewers as well as to the performers. The timing was perfect.
Next, to spark up some nostalgia, they played “Le Festin” from the movie “Ratatouille.” Tears fell and arms swayed in a room full of emotion. After this, the orchestra took an intermission, running off the stage as if they all had appointments they were late to. This was unannounced, making some people in the crowd think that it was all over. But 10 minutes later, they were back. The show went on.
The cello section got a highlight this time with a solo in the stage light that shone down from above. The song they played was “Halo” by Beyonce, and it also brought tears to the crowd. This time, the audience sat, pulling up phones to make stars out of flashlights. There was talk of feeling “swept away” and “transported” due to this piece. To finish off the night, a 2016 music compilation was put together by a member of the orchestra itself! There was a significant amount of house music that turned the stage into a dance floor. To close out the compilation, the audience was invited to come towards the stage and to gather in a rave. People were cheering and dancing as the night came to an end. Overall, it was a unique experience that received great feedback. Great job, orchestra!