Director Sheila Kilcoyne and 34 orchestra students will come together after months of rehearsals to present a concert Saturday.
Kilcoyne and the students are part of the Greater Palouse Youth Orchestra, a University of Idaho orchestra program for high school and younger students, which rehearses weekly. Students are required to take private lessons outside of GPYO to maintain a certain playing level.
“We have exceptional teachers in the area,” Kilcoyne said. “The orchestra is possible because of the strong teaching.
The Cantabile String Ensemble for middle schoolers will open for GPYO, the high school group, with a William Boyce symphony. GPYO will then join the Cantabile to play a Celtic tune, followed by “O Magnum Mysterium,” which was written by Colfax composer Morten Lauridsen in 1943.
Then, GPYO will close the concert with a Romanian folk dance, and the dramatic and humorous “La Poule” by Haydn, in which players make clucking noises through grace notes on their bows.
“The first piece — I’m really proud of them — they’re gonna play without a conductor,” Kilcoyne said.
University of Idaho wind symphony members will join GPYO to play “La Poule,” while two UI students, who help GPYO, will be on stage, too.
The concert should last about 45 minutes, and will be followed by a reception, where treats will be served.
Kilcoyne said some of the GPYO students play just as strong as university students, and people should look forward to the concert.
“Someone once came to me ... and they were just shocked on their first chord, that those kids could play that well,” Kilcoyne said.
Treffry can be contacted at (208) 883-4640 or ltreffry@inland360.com. Follow her on Twitter at: @LindseyTreffry.
-> if you go: WHAT: The Greater Palouse Youth Orchestra and the Cantabile String Ensemble fall concert WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday WHERE: Administration Building auditorium, University of Idaho, Moscow COST: Free
