Adam Sevier
Staff Writer
The Mira Costa Orchestra held its annual end of the year “Pops” Concert on Monday in Costa’s auditorium and students demonstrated their ability to perform modern-day pop hits.
The Pops Concert differed from the normal orchestra concerts because students performed songs that were not classical symphonies, but pop songs such as Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and the theme song from the television show “Game of Thrones”.
“I thinks it’s cool that the orchestra and bands are given the opportunity to take a break from the more taxing classical music and have fun playing music that we know and like in concert,” orchestra student and sophomore Evan Anderson said.
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The annual concert featured performances from the Philharmonic, Symphony, and Chamber Orchestras. Each group performed a total of four songs, which included hits from artists such as Adele and Bruno Mars.
Mira Costa’s Phillharmonic Orchestra performs “Uptown Funk”, by Bruno Mars, at the annual “Pops” concert. The concert featured performances by Costa’s Phillharmonic, Chamber, and Symphony Orchestras.
“We get to prepare music that we usually don’t and it’s great fun to learn for the kids, and it’s a fairly popular concert for the audience as well,” Orchestra Director Peter Park said.
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Orchestra students rehearsed daily during class and practiced their parts at home in order to prepare for the concert. In addition, students were involved in selecting which songs they performed at the concert.
“I like to get input from students when we are selecting songs for the concert, ” Park said. “I do a lot of researching and look to see what is available, but some songs are from student selections.”
Photos from the Mira Costa Orchestra’s “Pops” Concert
The Pops Orchestra Concert serves as a way for students to play music they normally wouldn’t and as a final concert to honor the senior musicians, Park said. The majority of seniors are not continuing with music in college, the Pops concert was the last time many of them performed on with an orchestra.
“For some of these seniors, this may be the last time they get to play in what may be the very best orchestra of their lives,” Park said. “It’s a very special concert for them.”
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