Evergreen Junior High Orchestra Makes Sport Of Music
Eugene Jablonsky, the Antarctica Penguins and the Atlantis Anchors struck a blow this week for the beauty of music.
“Orchestra, a Contact Sport,” was the season’s first concert for the Evergreen Junior High orchestra. Jablonsky, who directs the orchestra, recruited nearly 20 Central Valley High School orchestra players for the fun, all with one aim in mind: to boost recognition of the rigors demanded of young musicians.
About 75 Evergreen musicians played Thursday evening. The music ranged from Tangerine Rag, to the theme from Brahms First Symphony. Penguin Tiffany Pottratz and Anchor Holly Stewart faced off with dueling violins.
Seldom has America’s love affair with competitive sports been lampooned with such fervor. Jablonsky - or, Mr. J., as the students call him - milked a vast vocabulary of sports cliches for the commentators’ script
“Today is a very exciting day for the two perennial powerhouses of the International Orchestra League,” quoth commentator Chuck Roast, played by John Henderson, one of the Central Valley High students.
Tomfoolery flowed from Chuck Roast and his partner at the microphone, Natalie Attired (Melissa Amos), and coaches Hal Pimedrowning (Heather Brinton) and Rob Youblind (Nisha Holloway). Referee Charlie Cox, actually a science teacher at Evergreen, lurked in the background, whistle at the ready. He called a few penalties and ejected one angry player from the field - er, orchestra.
The whole show came to a halt while one injured player, Meg Mann, was wrapped - and wrapped and wrapped - by Elham Simmons and Kristin Ingalls.
“Natalie, I could only venture a guess, but based on preliminary blood tests, hair specimens, vision and hearing tests, X-rays, gastrointestinal scopes, plasma centrifuge and horoscope readings, we think … and keep in mind that it’s really too early to tell … that Meg has a sprained thumb,” said team doctor Stefan Streiffel.
The evening came complete with moral, delivered by KHQ-TV anchor Rick Douglas:
“Music is the blood and marrow of the soul,” Douglas said. “Remember, it’s not how you score the play, but how you play the score.”
, DataTimes