By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Seven groups of young strings students presented an afternoon of music to a packed house at Stringtacular on June 7. The program was held in the multipurpose room at Mary Putnam Henck Intermediate School.
The afternoon began with the Young Artists’ Ensemble – made up of violinists Erin Zhou, James Phillips, Adam Merrall and Hallelujah Joy Thomas; violist Nina Cantu-Wang; and cellists Emily Torres and Sharon Rizzo. The students – who began playing in third or fourth grade – have to audition for this ensemble. They played four pieces: “21 Guns” by Green Day; “American Fiddle Triptych,” a hoedown that got livelier and livelier, leading to one audience member calling out “Yee-haw”; Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir”; and the lyrical “Celtic Dreaming and Dance.”
Students are invited to participate in the Chamber Strings – violinists Michal Espinosa, Rose Espinosa; violist Sebastian Torres; and cellist Emily Torres – who played “Tour of California” and “Blue Tango.”
With Mui-Yee Chu Barry directing, violinist James Phillips soloed in Intermezzo’s presentation of “Czardas.”
Ken Camarella, vice president of the board of the Arrowhead Arts Association, which provides the strings instruction, thanked the parents for getting their children involved. “It will serve them well,” he said. He noted they have three wonderful teachers: Sharon Rizzo, Mui-Yee Chu Barry and Linda K. Wilson.
“The quality of the musical education they provide is great,” Camarella said.
Next to perform was Intermezzo, directed by Barry. They played Mozart’s “Alleluia”; “Czardas,” in which James Phillips soloed to great cheering; and “Starlight.”
The Prelude Strings performed three pieces: “Mystic Caravan,” “Sourwood Mountain” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” arranged by James Phillips who also directed the group.
Wilson told the audience that some of the students had participated in the Forum Fest where they get rated by professional musicians. Intermezzo brought home a Gold rating and Prelude a Silver.
She also noted that Covid had done “a number on us. The beginning strings went from 70 to nine – all the groups took a hit. We are building the program back.”
The Advanced Beginners then took the stage, playing “In Love with Practicing,” “Never Quit” and “Alone in the Barrio” with Bob Schultz accompanying them on the piano. They added a fourth piece, “Frere Jacques.”
Schultz also accompanied the Beginners as they played “Pepperoni Pizza D Major Scale,” “Fiesta,” “The Kid with the Beautiful Bowhold,” “Fiddle on the A String” and “Twinkle Twinkle.”
The program ended with the MTS Feature Quartet – violonists Erin Zhou and James Phillips; violist Nina Cantu-Wang; and cellist Sharon Rizzo. They performed “Serenada,” a lively Latin piece, and Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.”
“It takes a team to do what we do,” Rizzo told the audience.
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