LAKEPORT, Calif. – A nearly full house greeted the young performers at the concert of the CLPA Youth Orchestra on Sunday, June 9, at Lakeport’s Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

The concert opened with the efforts of a group of tiny violinists, and ended with the sophisticated music of their largely teenaged elders.

All age groups, though, won enthusiastic applause and deservedly so, since all of them had invested many hours in practice and rehearsals to make their moment in the sun possible.

Susan Condit, who serves as conductor of the youth orchestra also teaches string classes, and created programs suitable for each grade and experience level.

It’s obvious that she takes care in choosing music that the kids like to play and they responded with gusto. She also took the precaution of leading the way for the younger kids with her own violin

Clear Lake Performing Arts, which underwrites the Youth Orchestra, also sponsored violin classes, with generous support from a grant from the Lake County Wine Alliance, and these beginners (grades K-2) opened the show with the group singing an ascending scale to “Motorcycles Stopping on the D Ladder” followed by a 11-violin version of the tune.

The familiar “Hot Cross Buns” followed the same format, and the youngsters exited the stage to enthusiastic applause.

Group 1 from the next class then played three numbers “Mary had a little Lamb,” “Ode to Joy” and “Are you sleeping?” A house full of parents, grandparents and even total strangers loudly saluted their efforts.
         
The final group made up of students with current band instrument experience, presented the classical “Brandenburg Concerto No. 5” by Johann Sebastian Bach and the more complex rhythms of the contemporary composition “Terra Nova.” They were lent a helping hand by Youth Orchestra cellist Elliott Serena and violinist Rafael Contreras.

The members of the Youth Orchestra then took the stage, boys and girls alike garbed in black as befitting members of a sophisticated concert group – and sophisticated they were.

After a tune-up by Concertmaster Clayton Rudiger they launched into the brisk, up-tempo “M to the Third Power,” by Carold Nunez.

Next “Tango Expressivo” featured soloists Julianne Carter and Rafael Contreras on violin and also gave bassist Max Lehman a chance to show his stuff, which he did in grand fashion with the popular Latin American dance piece.

“Cloudburst” followed and drew a musical portrait featuring bass and cellos heralding the ominous approach of a storm, the musical cloudburst, and then the gradual retreat of the storm to the music’s finish. It was a notable example of disciplined playing.

“May it be,” the theme from “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” was next, with the first half of the concert ending with the country reel, fiddle sounds of “Galena Milwaukee Breakdown.”

As with their earlier work, this song demonstrated almost perfect bowing techniques by the violins, that would be a credit to any orchestra, anywhere,

Condit took the opportunity to thank her performers stating that “every time I raised the bar they met it.” She then presented a special recognition award to violinist and Assistant Music Director Eleanor Cook who had completed three years with the Youth Orchestra.

Thomas Ganong, who has administered the Allegro Scholarship Program for the last 12 years, then took the stand to present special Musical Achievement Awards to Rafael Contreras and Clayton Rudiger, as well as saluting Symphony Concertmaster Andi Skelton and Condit for their dedication to youth music activities in Lake County.

Symphony Conductor John Parkinson also congratulated all the participants and noted that Youth Orchestra members were playing music that would often be difficult even for his symphony members.

Parkinson’s granddaughter, Taylor, age 5, joined plenty of other little brothers and sisters who were on hand, sometimes under seats, at the concert.

According to Taylor’s grandmother Diane Parkinson, the little girl has already learned to identify the music of the various instruments of the orchestra, showing that it’s never to early to start kids in music programs.

Tamsen Serena, who is a volunteer coordinator for the Youth Orchestra, was master of ceremonies for the program, and thanked both CLPA for its support and the Soper-Reese Theatre which provided the venue free of charge.

The concert’s second half opened with the classical “Rondo Alla Turca” Mozart’s famed “Turkish March.”

Next on the program was the “Theme from Canon in D” written in the 17th century by Johann Pachelbel, whose familiar melody has been copied by many 21st century artists.

The canon is a composition device where different instruments playing the same music enter in sequence, and requires precision timing by the musicians.

The orchestra then returned to Mozart, with his Symphony No. 40 in D, one of only two ever written by Mozart in a minor key.

Then came one of the high points of the concert when darked-haired Edison Serena and blonde Clayton Rudiger rose to play a violin duet of Lindsey Stirling’s “Crystallize.” It was an extravagant show-piece which spotlighted the fingering talents of both musicians, with perfectly-harmonized tones covering every range that a violin can produce, and both performed the piece flawlessly, which won them rafter-ringing applause.

The concert ended with selections from the popular Broadway hit and movie “Les Miserables” supported by images on the movie screen behind the orchestra.

They also were supported by guest symphony members Andi Skelton, Marta Fuller, Jeff Ives, Jerry Mundel, Austin Ison and Patricia Jekel, with Anne Barquist assisting on piano.

When it ended the entire audience was on its feet, saluting what is probably one of the finest youth orchestras in the north counties if not the state.