pops – Houghton STAR

Two weeks ago Houghton Pops Orchestra (HPO) director Nathaniel Efthimiou (class of ’14) informed the members of the Houghton Pops orchestra that he and the board had decided to cancel the concert scheduled for the 22nd of this week. The performance planned for next semester is still planned for; however, there will be no performances by HPO this semester. “We simply didn’t have the resources or personnel this semester,” said Efthimiou concerning the decision.

HPO has faced a number of challenges this semester which, in the end, proved to be too much for the orchestra to overcome. One reason given by Efthimiou for the cancellation this semester was the music the group was forced to choose. “Our budget this semester was zero dollars,” said HPO president Ian Love, senior. “We had to use scores borrowed from the Philharmonia library,” said senior clarinettist Toni Bliemeister. “With the size of our group we just couldn’t pull some of them off. And most of it just isn’t us. It’s not music HPO should be playing.” As a club, HPO is still in the “provisional” stage, making SGA funding requests somewhat unclear. Next semester, however, they are scheduled to be approved as an official club. Orchestra members are hopeful this will allow the club to put on a more cohesive and accessible concert.

Another issue causing the concert cancellation is the extremely small size of the orchestra this semester. “We have more cellos than violins this year,” reported one member. Other commitments and schedule conflicts have made it difficult or impossible for past members to participate. Some former members are student teaching or studying abroad while others simply do not have time. “With the musical this semester and everything else I just didn’t have time,” said cellist Chad Sell, sophomore, who starred in the HMTP production of The Drowsy Chaperone earlier this semester. Efthimiou also had other commitments which took away from HPO, including conducting the pit orchestra for a musical as well as conducting pieces for composition students’ recitals. Many other members of the group were also involved in these productions, leaving little to no time for them left for HPO.

Members are hopeful about next semester, however. “Canceling this semester was sad, but the right choice. Next semester will be better, though, with new music and without Christmas Prism to take so much time at the end of the year,” said Bleimeister. When asked to comment on plans for next semester, Efthimiou replied that, “The HPO board and I are taking time to explore new ways by which the success of the orchestra can be ensured so that future productions by our members are of the highest possible level. There is no reason to worry about the health of the Houghton Pops.”

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.”