Nine CMS string players performed in 50th Annual Schuylkill Valley Area Orchestra festival

Select string musicians from Colonial Middle School recently joined with students from nine other schools for the 50th Annual Schuylkill Valley Orchestra Festival. 

Participants included eighth graders: Sarah Fries, Sarah Shim, Bryson Colclough, Madeline Hoffman, Gabby Yun, Julia Waldron, Clarissa Goddard, Meryem Ozkan, as well as seventh grader Melody Tice.

Directors from the participating schools took turns conducting the ensemble, and CMS Orchestra Director Elise Derewitz found the festival to be one of the highlights of the school year. "The students rehearsed for only 12 hours and put together a fabulous concert," said Mrs. Derewitz. "I get to work with the best of the best middle school string students, and, in such a short amount of time, they put together a professional sounding concert."  

This year's Schuylkill Valley Orchestra Festival was held at Upper Merion Middle School with a culminating concert on Friday, January 30.