The night kicked off with solo performances from senior Emma Brase and the cello quartet performing “Recuerdos de la Alhambra.” The two opened for Symphonic Orchestra as they played two pieces, one by B. Smith and the other by Grainger Arr. Dackow. Symphonic then proceeded to sit on stage quietly waiting for Chamber Orchestra to play together as Manhattan High’s combined orchestra performance.

“All of this was hard to rehearse,” Orchestra and Jazz teacher Nate McClendon said. “Because those two groups don’t meet together. But you see how they come in prepared they already knew their parts, it’s just we’ve never done it together. So, they had 20 minutes to play together one time and we performed it. We kind of live on the edge that way.”

Alongside of it being the last orchestra concert, it was also senior night where the all seniors got to be recognized for their musical achievements and to recieve a kind word from their music teacher via programs. The programs for the final show included a list of the senior class and McClendon’s personal message to each and every one of them.

“What’s great about that particular group is … it’s such a lively group,” McClendon said. “I’ll miss them all, we’ve been together for a very long time. The majority of those seniors I’ve had since seventh grade, so, what the orchestra program is right now … they’re the ones that built that. They are the nucleus of students that changed this orchestra from what it used to be to what it is now. And so all of the kids that are coming up now, they have this amazing orchestra to be a part of. But those are the kids that did the heavy lifting.”

After Chamber Orchestra performed their pieces, it was time for the combined Orchestra part of the evening. Before the group played “Meditation,” McClendon shared a few words about the responsibilities senior Kyle Thompson, lead Second Violin, had during every concert. McClendon’s words had everyone reaching for their napkins as he took a few seconds to clear his throat through his speech.

“I was crying. It was really touching,” Thompson said. “I was really happy about how I did. I thought we pulled the piece together really well relative to how much time we’ve had.”

The seniors had a chance to show their character through their last performance of “Concerto Gross.” The piece featured sophisticated percussion such as three kazoos, pitched bulb horns slide whistle and a scream. The piece the senior’s chose had a very serious and playful character to it and it was sure to end the night with a laugh.

“[they choose it] Because they’re dumb, that’s where it started.” McClendon said. “They have a very playful character to them. I knew that when I grabbed that one that they would just because of the title … and then when I told them it was for three kazoos that sealed the deal and then when they see all the other precaution in there … it was like a no brainer for them … that’s all they wanted to do.”

“Concerto Gross” was that last performance of the night and it was one for the combined orchestra to play as one. The piece was similar to “Concerto Grosso” the chamber orchestra played, therefore the crowed was not expecting seniors Arnav Das, Thompson and Nathan McClendon to follow the rhythm with their kazoos. The crowd, as well as Symphonic Orchestra, couldn’t hold in their laughter during the performance.

“[My favorite part was] definitely ‘Concerto Gross,’” senior Spencer Parish said. “It was pretty fun to get all of those things together. Every single senior had they’re own little things they had to do during that piece. It was fun having us all do strange things.”