Samo Orchestras’ first concert of the year was (movie) magical
With dim and colorful lights, nostalgic film scores, a dramatic piano, Samo’s Orchestra Movie Music Magic concert on Oct. 6 was a hit among all ages. Celebrating 120 years of performances at Samo, the orchestra played to inspire a new generation with timeless songs from the movies we all love. Sinfonia, Intermezzo, Philharmonic, and Symphony Orchestra’s performance blew away the audience with their annual fall fundraiser Pops concert. Starting off strong, a costume parade featuring elementry-aged students served as a precursor to the concert and the upcoming spooky season. Even those performing on stage were dressed up in costumes from famous movies. Orchestra director Jason Aiello sees these concerts as an opportunity to inspire younger students to pursue the music programs their school offers.
“For our fall fundraisers we always want to do something that’s like a hook, not just something that our students will enjoy but something that’s enticing for middle school, elementary and young families to come,” Aiello said.
Confetti streamers showered the adience after Symphony Orchestra’s rendition of iconic “Harry Potter “melodies
Taylor Witt / The Samohi
With over 300 students in Samo’s orchestra program, it’s safe to say that these attempts of recruitment have proved successful, funding the future for musical education. For their first concert of the year, Samo’s orchestra was excited to show off their talents.
Moving melodies from cinematic masterpieces were accompanied by spliced footage from the original films. Sinfonia and Intermezzo Orchestra prepared the audience for an eventful evening of classic film scores including music from Corpse Bride, Shrek and The Greatest Showman. The Philharmonic Orchestra played a beautiful rendition of My Neighbor Totoro, Forrest Gump’s Main Title “Feather Theme” and an orchestral suite from Beauty and the Beast.
Eva Machtinger (’25) a player in the Philharmonic group recalls the impressive execution of the Beauty and the Beast suite.
“I was pretty worried about the faster sections in Beauty and the Beast. This was pretty similar to our past performances but Beauty and the Best definitely felt more difficult to pull together than the pieces we begun the year with so it was more rewarding when we pulled it off,” Machtinger said.
After a brief intermission, the concert resumed with the highest orchestra, Symphony, performing longer and more intricate pieces from Aladdin, Howl’s Moving Castle and a suite from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; including Hedwig’s Theme, Nimbus 2000 and Harry’s Wonderous World. These recognizable pieces transported the audience into the movies themselves. The performance truly ended with a bang as streamer cannons splashed the stage and audience, creating an unmatched feeling of excitement. Orchestra Directors Jason Aiello and Jim Wang are eager to see what the students have to offer this year.