Violinist Unbowed By Lack Of Orchestra

Thu., Feb. 2, 1995

By Kim Barker kimb@spokesman.com

She’s not in orchestra class at her high school, because there is no orchestra class at University High School.

But sophomore Sarah Scales - yes, that’s her real name - still managed to be selected for the All Northwest Orchestra this year. She plays with the Valley Junior Orchestra and takes private lessons.

The All Northwest Orchestra is part of the All Northwest Music Festival, held every two years with participants from Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

Scales said she wishes that University High School offered orchestra.

“It would be nice,” she said. “I know some other people who would like it set up. They’ve got band, they’ve got choir. It’s disappointing that they don’t have orchestra.”

No one at school has yet made a big deal about her selection.

“It’s really quiet and it’s kind of disappointing,” Scales said. “I worked really hard at it.”

Scales will be on stage as a first violinist for the music festival, held in Spokane this year on the weekend of Feb. 17-19. Eight students from Valley schools qualified for the festival, which also features a band, a treble choir, a full choir, a jazz band and a jazz choir.

The orchestra concert will be at 3 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Opera House.

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