ORCHESTRA NEWS
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE:
FINDING THE PONY IN THIS PANDEMIC
January 12, 2022
To Our Dear and Loyal Audience and Supporters:
A pessimist looks at a pile of manure and moans, “The smell, how do I get rid of it?” An optimist starts digging, shouting with glee, “There must be a pony here somewhere.” It is difficult to ‘find the pony’ in this fatiguing and lengthy pandemic, but I believe PCO is emerging and will emerge a stronger organization that ever before. With time to reflect on the needs of our infrastructure and audience, we are doing some amazing things, even though we are not performing, full-orchestra live concerts.
PCO has completely revamped its website, with Covid grant funding in addition to our regular loyal individual supporters and local government grant awards. This new website has enabled us to highlight past performances and premiere new ones. How new? Well, even before vaccines became available, small groups began playing together in the backyards of Orchestra members. We were able to record and post video of these performances. With the advent of vaccines, the string section rehearsed and performed in my backyard! We carried this momentum into regular, small group rehearsals at our rehearsal site, Alverno Heights Academy.
Our Musical Director/Conductor, Bethany Pflueger, is the master of “Plan B” management. To keep our Orchestra members safe, she has organized concerts that highlight each section of the Orchestra performing pieces, that as a whole, constitute a full performance! This allowed us to socially distance during rehearsals. Our November 5, 2021 concert, performed at Pasadena High School Auditorium, was a momentous success and can be viewed on our website. With the Omicron surge, PCO management had to postpone our January small ensemble concert until March 11, but, fingers crossed, you will be able to attend a live concert of truly fun and unusual pieces.
One of the more rewarding activities PCO engages in every year is our Young Artist Competition.
We could not, of course, hold live auditions, but we pressed on and held the 2021 Competition through video submissions. With the cancellation of the May 2020 concert and all 2021 performances, we were not able to offer our winners an immediate opportunity to perform with the full Orchestra, so we have reluctantly canceled this year’s Competition. But we have two outstanding Competition winners in line to perform when we are back at full strength.
The PCO Board, our Musical Director, and our Orchestra members epitomize the second word in our name, which is “community.” With an all-volunteer group of players, that is growing even during this pandemic, our mission is to provide quality music for free to our community. We thank our loyal audience for the support and honor they give to us in supporting us in our mission.
Please view our website, www.pcomusic.org, for more information about our group and to get on our email Newsletter list to receive news and updates about future performances.
To happy, safe, healthy 2022!
Mary Thornton House, President