Hooray for Orcas High School musicians! Once again they have come home with top rankings from the regional San Juan Music Educators Association (SJMEA) Solo/Ensemble Contest. While final results are not yet in for all musicians, we have received notice that Orcas musicians received “top 3” ratings in two categories at the regional contest on Saturday, January 30. The Orcas High School Strings, under the direction of Pamela Wright, received the third highest number of points for large string ensembles and will be the second alternate to go to state competition if the first two school groups are unable to attend. Paris Wilson received the second highest number of points for solo violin and will be the first alternate to go to state competition.

“We are working this year with double the number of musicians we had last year in Strings and Band,” said Pamela Wright, “and most of that expansion comes from incoming freshmen. So we’re a young group. Moreover, we’re competing against schools that are many times our size. All three Bellingham High Schools, for example, have more than 1,000 students, compared to our enrollment of 140. But our kids have consistently competed at the same levels as the larger schools over the years, and excelled, and I could not be prouder of them.” The Orcas High School Strings, playing without a conductor, performed the gorgeous “Adagio” from Camille Saint-Saens’ Symphony No. 3. The Orcas group competed in a group of 16 large string ensembles coming from a region that covers high schools from Anacortes and Mt. Vernon all the way up to Blaine, including Bellingham.

Paris Wilson, a freshman at Orcas High School, performed the Vitali “Chaconne,” a demanding, fiery showpiece on solo violin. As one Bellingham teacher said about Paris, “It’s quite a feat getting a ranking like that, against all the other violinists in all of Bellingham, especially as a freshman.”

Two busloads of Orcas student musicians attended the all-day contest. Band Director Darren Dix brought students who competed in five different brass groups, two woodwind groups, a percussion group and solo instruments. A large group of brass players calling themselves “The Magnificent Seven” performed. Four small brass groups included “The Bedazzling Brass Brigade,” “The Orcas Island Brass Cortet,” “Just Duet,” and “#Looking Naturals.” “The Rolling Tones” competed in the category of large woodwinds, and “Hmoe^2” competed in small woodwinds. “Pataflafla” is the name of the large percussion group. Three soloists competed in band: Devon Mann on trumpet, Leonie Walle on Clarinet and Tim Jenson on French horn.

In addition to the top-rated Orcas High School Strings, Pamela Wright’s Strings musicians competed in several other areas. “U Jelli of our Celli?” and “EJ” competed in the small strings category. “Ye Olde Quintet” was an additional entry in large strings from Orcas. In addition to Paris, two other musicians performed solos: Elliott Claus on piano and Michael Harlow on violin.

The Orcas community can hear some of these amazing musicians play at the annual Music Advocacy Group’s (MAG) concert at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, in the Old Gym at the Orcas School. Orcas school musicians will perform, along with the Orcas Choral Society, Orcas Island Community Band and Island Sinfonia. Admission is by donation and all donations go to MAG to support the music program at the Orcas Public Schools.