We welcomed some members of the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra to school last week. Paige was an amazing percussionist when she joined on the guiro!

On Tuesday the 19th of November, the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra came to our school to perform some songs for us. There were 6 members of the orchestra; three girls and three boys. They all played different instruments, including the flute, clarinet, drums, french horn and violin. Two girls both played the same instrument on one song.

The orchestra played music from movies like Aladdin and Star Wars, as well as some classical music from 400 years ago. When they played the classical music, the tune was passed from instrument to instrument.

Between songs, each member of the orchestra talked about the instruments they were playing. During the question time many children asked questions. Questions included ‘What is the favourite song you have played?’ and ‘How many instruments have you played?’
The orchestra did a really good job playing all the songs and learning all the different instruments.

Samantha S

On Tuesday the school gathered in the Owhiro Center to meet and listen to six members from the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. Chatter filled the room as classes entered. Mrs Tay soon asked us to stop talking and introduced Feby, who played the flute.

She introduced us to each member of the orchestra. There were a range of instruments including percussion, flute, clarinet, violin and viola, and a french horn. The first song they performed was from a movie, The Lion King. Beautiful sound filled the room. You could hear each and every instrument being played perfectly; in tune and perfectly in time. The flute floated through with it’s high pitched sounds. The french horn was in the background ringing out and giving a nice feel to the song. The drums rumbled the ground, but were a perfect addition to the song. The violins were always in time, adding the perfect touch to the song. When they finished playing a loud clap came from the audience. A smile came from all the performers.

The second piece they played was a song from 400 years ago. This song was a happy dancey song; the type of music that would make you click your fingers or clap your hands. The piece was delicate. had high parts and low parts, and was very upbeat. The tune bounced from instrument to instrument, with the flute and violin playing the tune first. They said it was like “passing a ball but instead of a ball it was the tune.”

After this short song each orchestra member explained their instrument. The musicians who played the flute, french horn and the clarinet, showed us their mouth pieces and what sound they made when they weren't attached to the main instrument. Each mouthpiece made a weird squeaky sound. The violinist played high notes and low notes, spoke about the bow and how it worked. The percussionist showed us some of the many instruments that he played.

Then it was time for their last piece, which was also from a movie - Aladdin. The song was called Aladdin nights. It was loud and happy, but quiet and dark in some parts. It was beautiful. Again the sound floated around the room. We all cheered in appreciation. I could see that the orchestra members had practised a lot and this was shown in their performances. It was a lovely way to start the day.

Renee L