The meaning of “Philharmonic” is “a ‘music-loving’ orchestra, often synonymous with symphony orchestras, designed to bring high-quality live music to communities.” This can reflect the ultimate performance of the student-led “Philharmonic” club as they showcased a famous musical piece during the final Orchestra Spring Concert on May 21.
The Philharmonic club is an after-school club founded and conducted by junior student Andrew Lucas (‘27), which brings students from band and orchestra, or who play instruments, together to play in a symphonic-style orchestra. Every Tuesday from 2:30 to 3:15, members come together in the Orchestra room to practice and grow musical skills and artistic engagements.
The GH Falcon sat down with Lucas, who when asked what the intent was when creating the club, stated, “I wanted to form and foster a space where different students come together to make music and build relationships.” This expresses the main goal for “GH Phil”, which leads students to develop and strengthen communities while making music.
For the past couple months, the group spent every Tuesday practicing together for the occasion. After the intermission, the club began to perform their piece.
The piece selection included: Overture 1812 (abridged) by Tchaikovsky Arr. by J. F Lehmeier
The classical piece, Overture 1812, is best known for its immense volume, explosive climax and ties to the historical defeat against Napoleon’s army by Russia in 1812. The club included various instrumental parts in their rendition, such as brass instruments, violins and percussions. The crowd roared with applause afterwards, with club members such as Aidan Zaltzman (‘28) stating, “I think we gave a really good performance. It reflected our capabilities and dedication to the music, even when it wasn’t required of us.”
As a result, the Philharmonic club’s performance left its members feeling bittersweet and satisfied with their last performance of the year. Being a student-led club created multiple opportunities for students to express their musical talent and share classical music with the Green Hope community.
