by Wayne DeMello
Performing Arts Department Chair

Three Iolani orchestras competed in the 2006 Parade of Orchestras on Saturday, April 29 at the Pearl City Cultural Center. 

The Lower School Beginning Orchestra, comprised of 24 fifth and sixth graders who first picked up their instruments in September and who had only progressed to the point of playing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star by December,  played three difficult pieces and earned an Excellent+ rating.

Orchestra 2, with 40 7th and 8th graders, performed Vanguard Overture, Aeolius and Gauntlet with remarkable tone quality and an extremely disciplined approach to interpretation and articulation. They have made tremendous progress this year.  

For their efforts, they earned a Superior rating from the judges.

Orchestra 3, with its 42 students in grades 7 through 10, impressed the judges with their big tone and energetic contrasts of dynamics and mood in music by Wagner and  Mosier, and their additional contest piece "Oasis for Basses" featuring the solid string bass section of this fine ensemble.

They also earned a Superior rating.

From my own observations after listening to 17 of the 34 orchestras that performed, I thought our students performed exceptionally well and as I have noticed with all of our performing groups, they rose to the occasion and outdid themselves in the process. Congratulations to the students and their teachers.