We were fortunate to start off our season with a side by side with members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. The rehearsal began with a reading of Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Nights Dream Overture. Members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra sat at the head of their sections helping direct both the reading and the rehearsal that followed. It was interesting to observe their interactions. At the end of the initial reading, they immediate jumped into discussion. At first, their comments were directed locally; once they gave feedback to their individual sections and larger instrumental groups, Orpheus members then addressed the ensemble. Through our observations, we learned how to positively construct a comment. After all, our goal is to make chamber music in a symphonic setting. Everything is about compromise and thus it is important that we refrain from accusatory statements. Orpheus members employed words such as “we” and “the ensemble.” Their rhetoric helped create a community feel and will serve as a model for us in the upcoming weeks.
After members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra led Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Nights Dream Overture, they took a backseat and allowed members from OIMSM to lead. This allowed Orpheus members to help direct the students in the OIMSM. After the Mendelssohn, we moved on to Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony so that we could include some of the wind players on rotation. Overall, the side by side was a success and we would like to thank the members of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra who gave us such a wonderful introduction to the project!
