District X Festival held at AHS

    Black gowns, penguin tuxedos, violins and cellos filled the AHS auditorium yesterday as the District X Orchestra Festival got underway. It will last through March 8. This is the first time in five years that the festival, colloquially dubbed the “orchestra SOLs,” is being held at AHS.

    Ten District X orchestras from both middle and high schools will assemble on the AHS stage to perform before a series of judges, who will adjudicate them based on tone, intonation, technique, balance, interpretation, musical effect, choice of music, instrumentation, discipline, even appearance. Orchestras are graded on a scale of 5-1, with 1 being the highest score, with each orchestra’s individual score determining the ensemble’s county approval rating. School orchestras that will be visiting AHS include those from Edison HS, South County HS and MS, Hayfield Secondary, Poe MS, and Walt Whitman MS.

    The orchestras perform in two different stages of adjudication: general performance and sight-reading. General performance involves the students performing a piece they have already prepared, while sight-reading consists of students being presented with a never-before-seen piece of music and performing it for accuracy on sight. The scores from each stage combined determine an orchestra’s overall score.

    Because of the Festival’s nature, it is crucial that orchestras earn the highest rating possible, as it determines their relative ability year by year. “If you’ve practice it’s not a big deal, but it can be nerve wracking if you haven’t practiced,” said AHS sophomore cellist Anthony Slimp. Slimp practiced for at least an hour and a half each day in the days leading up to the festival. “[The AHS Orchestra has] been practicing for this festival since December. I feel that we did pretty well especially based on how we have been doing for the past few years.”

    “I’m feeling calm because this is my third year and we’ve practice for three months,” said sophomore cellist Rose Brodberg, who hopes that the AHS orchestra receives a better rating this year that it did last year.

    In 2007 the AHS Orchestra received a rating of 2, which is equivalent to excellent. “We are on par with all of the other schools,” said Slimp.

    Final ratings for 2008 will be posted in the cafeteria on May 9.