One way seniors are honored at the concert is that one senior can conduct a piece in place of Smarelli. Smarelli works with that senior, teaching him/her how to conduct, until they are ready to lead the group. This year, bassist John Pulliam led the piece “Habanera” by Ohio composer Edmund Siennicki.

Senior Nora Dukart also performed a solo, “Symphonie Espagnole” by Edouard Lalo (despite the name, the piece is actually a concerto). Dukart plays in orchestra as section leader of the violas, however she played the violin first. Her solo at the concert was played on the violin, and she participates in the Cincinnati Youth Symphony Orchestra Philharmonic Orchestra as a violinist.

Senior Emma Burge plays her violin solo, “Concerto in D Minor” by Sibelius with the accompaniment of the orchestra and select members of the band. This is a unique opportunity for most seniors, since only a handful go on to careers in music, and might not ever get the chance to play a concerto accompanied by a symphony. Senior soloists must pick their pieces in their junior years to ensure that they are prepared by the time the group starts rehearsing the piece.

Freshman Sophie Burge plays her first concert at the high school. Performing at the high school is very different when compared to the Junior High. Changes include wearing dresses/tuxedos provided by the school for each performance. Also, it was their first time playing in symphonies (with woodwinds and brass).

The whole group plays a few movements from the piece “Simple Symphony” by Benjamin Britten. The second movement, “Playful Pizzicato” has the entire orchestra using pizzicato for the whole movement. Pizzicato means plucking the strings with one’s fingers rather than using a bow like pieces are usually played. Players struggled with this, as they were not used to needing one finger so much.

The band and orchestra warm up and wait for conductor Mr. David Smarelli to enter the stage. Sophomore Charles Harte said, “Playing with the orchestra is definitely different from playing with the band… In orchestra everyone is basically playing a solo and needs to pop and stand out.”

The SHS orchestra play their first concert of the year, the annual Senior Spotlight Concert. The concert took place Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at the high school. The purpose of the performance is to honor seniors, many of whom have spent eight years with the Sycamore program.