Benet Academy’s Fall Orchestra Concert took place on October 10 in St. Daniel’s Hall. The concert included a selection of chamber music and a performance by the string orchestra.

The concert started with a chamber group who performed Allegretto OP .76 NO. 2 by Joseph Haydn and arranged by Forest R. Etling. The ensemble consisted of Chelsea Luna, Joe Arndt, Christina Mutholam and Jeremy Konieczny. The ensemble played fantastically and set high expectations for the rest of the night.

Another notable chamber ensemble consisted of Mina Chang, Michael Campione and Mary Kipp. The group performed Terzetto in C Minor O.P 74. Movement 1 by Atonin Dvorak. The ensemble had wonderful performances last year setting the bar high for this year. The ensemble however did not disappoint and gave a spectacular performance. The chamber group section of the concert with a bang.

Following the chamber group performances was the full orchestra performance. The orchestra prepared two pieces for the concert. However, this proved a serious challenge. The orchestra only had 6 weeks to prepare, meeting only once a day. This was an extremely quick turnaround for a concert, yet the orchestra was able to push through this challenge.

The first piece that the Orchestra performed was Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber arranged by Jamin Hoffman. This piece is slower paced yet incredibly moving. The audience was left speechless after the Orchestra played the last note. Next, the Orchestra performed Beethoven’s Egmont Overture arranged by Robert D. McCashin. This piece was played near to perfect, every note being played with so much passion. Egmont is more of a fast paced song, which really lifted the mood in the theater after Adagio. It left the crowd in shock, having them pause for a few moments after the last note was played. Egmont was a perfect way to end the night. Overall, the concert proved a great way to kick off Benet Orchestra for the rest of the year.