Deadline for the fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony is fast approaching!

Don't forget to get your reservation in for the fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra on May 22.  The deadline for reservations and permission slips is Monday, May 2.  You won't want to miss out on this amazing performance of Holst's The Planets, as well as a trumpet concerto and selections by Debussy and Prokofiev.  We are proud of Jennifer Han and Joanna Li as they represent IHS in this prestigious orchestral ensemble!!!

Concerts next week!

It's spring concert time in the Orchestra room!

The IHS Spring Orchestra Concert will be held at 7:30 PM on Monday, May 2 in the SH Auditorium.  Featured will be music by Vivaldi, Warlock, Shostakovich, Khachaturian, and Schubert.  Performances will include a solo motet with chamber ensemble accompaniment featuring senior soprano, Amy Varner.

The IJHS Orchestra, the IJHS Corelli Chamber Strings, and the IASD District String Ensemble will perform a spring concert on Tuesday, May 3 at 7:00 in the JH Auditorium.  This program will feature traditional orchestral music as well as music from around the world.  The audience will hear a movement from Mozart Symphony #15, the second movement of Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique" Symphony #6,  an overture to a Mozart opera, and an exciting piece of music from the ballet, The Red Poppy.  World music from Jamaica and China will also be performed.

All IASD orchestra concerts are free and open to the public.  We hope that you can join us!

Chamber of Strings plays for IUP FLICK festival

The IHS Chamber of Strings ensemble recently played for IUP's new film adjudicated film festival, entitled FLICK.

The chamber ensemble served as the pit orchestra for the awards presentations, just like at the Oscars!  Excerpts from film scores including Eyes Wide Shut, Schindler's List, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, The Sound of Music, South Pacific, Oklahoma!, and Madagascar 3 were featured.

The film festival was organized by string parent, Dr. Jim Lenze.

IHS Chamber of Strings performs at Holocaust Remembrance inter-faith service

The IHS Chamber of Strings recently performed with the IHS A Cappella Choir for a Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service sponsored by IUP.  The Chamber of Strings provided prelude music to the service as well as music for service candlelighting.  The service closed with a combined arrangement of "Let There Be Peace on Earth," in which the congregation was invited to join in singing. 

The service featured several Holocaust survivors, including Moshe Taube, one of the most famous Jewish cantors in America.  Participants in the service came from the Muslin Student Organization, Beth Israel Synagogue, and the Inter-faith Committee.

We thank Mr. Salser and the A Cappella Choir for joining us in this important community endeavor.  

Reminders for End-of-Year Activities

The deadline is approaching for payment and permission slips for the May 22 PYSO Heinz Hall field trip.  I MUST have all payments and permission slips in by May 2 in order to make all of the travel arrangements.  Please email Ms. Laird at jlaird@iasd.cc if you need a permission slip.  We will be leaving the SH at 4:30 PM on Sunday, May 22 and returning around 11:15 PM.

Concerts are FAST approaching!  The SH spring orchestra concert is on Monday, May 2 (SH Auditorium) and the JH/Elem. spring concert is on Tuesday, May 3 (JH Auditorium).  Info has been sent home about these concerts.  ALL string ensemble students are required to participate!

This Saturday at 4:30 PM, our IHS Chamber of Strings ensemble will be participating in the IUP FLICK film festival awards program.  It will be held at the Ohio Room of the HUB and will conclude by 6:30.

And, finally, our SH Senior Awards Banquet will be held at Hoss's on Thursday, May 19.  Information will be sent home soon to all SH Orchestra families.

Spring is here!!!!

Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service

The IHS Chamber of Strings, in cooperation with the IHS A Cappella Choir has been invited to perform this evening for the IUP Holocaust Remembrance Interfaith Service at the Beth Israel Synagogue.  The service begins at 5:30, although the Chamber of Strings will be performing the prelude music, beginning at 5:10 PM.
This promises to be a wonderful service, and features Holocaust survivors, as well as representatives of many faiths.  A combined arrangement of "Let There Be Peace On Earth" will be sung by the A Cappella Choir with the Chamber of Strings and Mr. Salser accompanying.  Part of the way through the arrangement, the congregation will be invited to join in singing.

We encourage you to attend and support not only our IHS performing ensembles, but also this community event which promotes remembrance and world peace.

Indie Strings sponsoring fan bus to see the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra May 22

April 6, 2016

Dear IASD Strings Family:

We are taking a fan bus to see IHS String Students, Jennifer Han and Joanna Li in the Sunday, May 22 Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra concert.  The concert begins at 7:30 PM and it will be a late night for a school night.  The field trip is open to any Junior High or Senior High students and their families who would like to attend.  It is also open to elementary students, but a parent must accompany each elementary student who attends. The concert is FREE and open to the public.  You will only pay for your place on the bus.  The cost for the bus trip is only $15 per person!

A fan bus is a great way to see a concert without the hassles of driving into downtown Pittsburgh. We will leave from the SENIOR High School at 4:00 PM.  Please eat supper at home or bring a snack for the bus.  We are not stopping along the way.  The concert will begin at 7:30, and afterward we'll stay a few minutes to congratulate our symphony stars!  After the concert, we will travel straight home and expect arrival at the Senior High School parking lot at approximately 11:15 PM.

Checks should be made out to: Indiana Area Junior High School, with the words "Indie Strings" in the memo, and sent to Ms. Laird at Indiana Area Junior High School.

If we do not have enough paid participants by May 2, the trip will be cancelled.  We will accept reservations until we have 48 people (one school bus, two per seat).  

Thank you so very much for your continued support of our school string program!

Sincerely,

Ms. Julianne Laird

Please return this signed permission slip to Ms. Laird by May 2.  Students will not be permitted to participate without a signed permission slip.

___________________________________ is permitted to travel (or planning to travel) on the fan bus to Pittsburgh (Heinz Hall) on Sunday, May 22, 2016.  I will transport my child (or be at) the Senior High School at 3:45 PM to board the bus and will have transportation home arranged at 11:15 PM.

___________________________________                          ________________________________

parent or guardian                                                                  email

___________________________________

Emergency phone number (required!)

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­___________________________________

date

District Orchestra planning meeting for tonight is CANCELLED

Thanks so much for your support.  Plans are progressing nicely, but there isn't enough to report to merit a meeting.  Please email me if you would like more information!