Rock Canyon’s String and Chamber Orchestras have a concert Dec. 13, 2018 at 7:00pm in the RC auditorium. A concert from Rocky Heights Middle School’s orchestra will precede RC’s orchestras. The instrumentalists have been preparing for this concert since October.

“Every year, only a very select few orchestras have the privilege of playing at the Colorado Music Education Association (CMEA), and we were selected and asked to play this year. It’s a big, probably once-in-a-lifetime deal for Rock Canyon’s orchestra,” Lilliya Larson ’21 said. Because Larson teacher aids Orchestra and Guitar teacher Ben Dale’s seventh period String orchestra, she will be both playing the piano to accompany the String orchestra and playing the violin for the Chamber orchestra.

RC’s orchestras have never played for CMEA before. “Since first quarter, we’ve been working on a bunch of serenades… for the fall and winter concerts. With both our fall and winter repertoire, plus some extra songs, we’re going to play those all at CMEA,” Larson said. RC’s orchestras will be playing at least 10 songs.

The Chamber orchestra will be performing a world premier of a piece that has never been played before. Rock Canyon’s orchestras have been chosen by the CMEA to perform with elementary schools and middle schools and play different-level pieces for judges. The judges of the competition are music educators. The concert will be held at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs Jan. 24, 2019 at 8:00pm.

Alex LaMotte ’21 composed a piece for this concert. The symphony has yet to be given a name but follows a style called A Theme in Variation. Dale emailed LaMotte, asking him to write the piece. LaMotte had already been writing a piece that happened to fit perfectly along with the requirements Dale gave him to follow for the December piece.

Starting from writer’s block, LaMotte wrote a few notes and then kept writing more and putting them all together into a tune that is now the main theme of his symphony for the December concert.

“There’s going to be the middle school, there’s going to be guitar, and there’s going to be Chamber, so it’s going to be this whole big production,” LaMotte said about the December Concert.

Rock Canyon’s Orchestra works throughout the quarters to ensure a great show, so come support your fellow Jags at the December orchestra concert, Dec. 13, 2018 at 7:00pm in the RC auditorium. Also, be sure to head to the Broadmoor Hotel for a performance with other selected schools throughout Colorado to encourage your peers as they compete.

Broadmoor Hotel

1 Lake Avenue

Colorado Springs, CO

80906