The Methacton School District Orchestra program begins in third grade for students in the five Methacton elementary schools: Audubon, Arrowhead, Eagleville, Woodland, Worcester. Students continue studying stringed instruments in the Arcola Orchestra program. The Methacton High School Orchestra program is the culmination of this district-wide string program. The high school program includes String Orchestra, Full Orchestra, and chamber ensembles.
String Orchestra includes violins, violas, cellos and basses. The participants elect the String Orchestra class which meets 3 to 6 days per cycle and includes small group instruction. They perform a variety of classical, jazz and popular styles. In recent years they have performed works including:
Andante Cantabile from String Quartet No. 1~Tchaikovsky
Serenade for Strings~Washburn
St. Paul's Suite~Holst
Simple Symphony~Britten
Molly on the Shore~Grainger
Capriol Suite~Warlock
John William's Trilogy~Williams/Custer
Bailes Para Orqesta~Meyer
The Full Orchestra includes select winds from the Concert Band who join with the String Orchestra in rehearsal once each week. The Full Orchestra performs standard symphonic literature as well as contemporary works including:
L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2~Bizet
Bacchanale from Samson & Delilah~Saint-Seans
Symphonic Suite from Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring~Shore
Overture to Nabucco~Verdi
Slavonic Dance No. 8~Dvorak
Two string quartets rehearse weekly outside of school, and perform in school concerts as well as throughout the community. Larger chamber ensembles also perform in concerts and the community. A select string group was honored to perform in Hershey for the PA Association of School Administrators in October 2004. Most recently the group performed at the Penn View Orchestra Invitational, where the ensemble received a superior rating.
