The Saint David’s Philharmonic Ensemble
By Phil Hough
n February 6, 2011, thirty-three Saint David’s boys, Second through Eighth Grade, strode confidently onto the stage of Carnegie Hall. The delicate and precise tones of Haydn’s St. Anthony Chorale, played by a solo string quartet, rang out into the capacity filled hall, immediately rejoined by the robust sound of the full Ensemble. As the program continued, the boys deftly adjusted their style and attack, playing Mozart’s dramatic Symphony No. 25 (of Amadeus fame), written when he was just 17, followed by a powerful rendition of Verdi’s Nabucco Overture, with four solo cellos taking the place of the four trombones of the original, and concluding with Lalo Schifrin’s, Mission Impossible in the difficult time signature of 5/4. The memory of this concert resonated with me in September, when Dr. O’Halloran introduced his Headmaster’s
The Demands and Rewards of Rigorous Pursuit
O
The Ensemble at Dress Rehearsal for their Carnegie Hall Performance in February 2011.
theme of Rigorous Pursuit, drawn from our mission statement. What better exemplification of rigorous pursuit than a successful performance on the stage of Carnegie Hall? Beneath this deceptively self-evident truth lay many layers of rigorous effort, easily taken for granted once the applause dies down and bows are taken. For all the concentration, anxiety, and emotion involved in a successful performance, the event is merely the proverbial tip of the iceberg in terms of the sustained effort needed to reach the goal. As the new school year has begun to unfold, I have had many occasions to reflect on the part of the iceberg not so easily seen. This is especially true this year, having just graduated nearly a third of the Ensemble members, representing a hefty part of the core of advanced players. I confess to having felt a bit uneasy about this year. How could we measure up to the high bar set by the 2010–2011 Ensemble? Happily, I have been enormously heartened and inspired by this year’s group. Experienced players have stepped into leadership roles, and new members have joined
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