The theme of tonight’s Houghton Pops Orchestra concert is Hearts of the Highlands II: A Song to Remember, directed by Robert Martin.
“The concert has a Celtic theme with different varieties ranging from traditional Celtic music to pieces from How to Train Your Dragon and The Boondock Saints,” said second violinist Nathan Sircy. “This concert will be very similar to the first one that Houghton Pops performed.”
The concert won’t simply be a classical performance of music, but rather a synthesis of music and dance. A troupe of dancers from Seneca Falls will be showcased, and Houghton alum, Alastair Hutton, will be playing the bagpipes. Different students will be featured with solos, including sophomore Rachael Anacker, who will be performing an Irish dance.
Junior Rachel Spak is highlighted as the fiddler in all the Celtic violin solos. Having played for thirteen years, Spak’s experience and that of the other musicians will bring professionalism to the production.
“It’s going to be an incredible night. It is not like the other concerts we have around at Houghton because it’s not so classical and uptight,” said Spak. “Rather, it will be laid back and a lot of fun!”
Each member of the performance has put in a significant amount of time to prepare. Martin has particularly devoted a lot of his time and energy to the show, as he has been writing the music since last summer. The music was given to the orchestra to learn before winter recess. Aside from the weekly two-hour rehearsal on Wednesday nights, all the participants have been putting in their own time since Christmas break. 
“It will be exciting and a relief to finally perform this music. We have all worked really hard to put this concert together, especially the director Rob Martin, and we hope that the crowd will enjoy the performance as much as will performing,” said Sircy. “We had a really positive reaction from the crowd last year so we hope to keep it going through this year and the years to come.”
“The greatest thing about this music is the audience can react however they want whenever they want. If they like something they can scream and shout. The orchestra feeds off of the energy,” said Martin, “So, the normal rules of concert etiquette don’t really apply in this type of concert.”
Everyone involved is eager to execute what they have worked so hard to prepare. Emotions have permeated the production as the performers are a mixture of nervous and excited, yet are still confident of a solid performance.
So join the Houghton Pops Orchestra this Friday night in their tribute to our Houghton Highlander tradition tonight at 7:30pm in the Wesley Chapel. As Rachel Spak said, “We will be [ready]. It always pulls together at the end, no matter what.”