M-A’s orchestra hosted its second annual Halloween concert and fundraiser on Tuesday in the PAC Cafe, blending traditional orchestral music with spooky storytelling. Led by music director William Flaherty, the orchestra embraced the Halloween spirit by donning costumes and performing spooky music.
This concert and style of music is unique from traditional formal orchestra concerts, offering a laid-back tone that highlights community fun and connection. “There’s no pressure, no judges,” Flaherty said. The Halloween concert is a tradition he brought to M-A, explaining that he wanted to give the orchestra a concert of their own in addition to the general winter and spring concerts.
The orchestra kicked off with an orchestral arrangement of the Zombie Nation hit “Kernkraft 400.” The ensemble clapped along, mimicking the kick drum from the original while the brass played the iconic melody. Complete with unique harmonies, it was an entertaining take on the iconic techno song.
They followed with “Strange Twists and Devious Turns,” a more traditional orchestra piece written by Peter Sciaino featuring a steady rhythm from the strings and a bold, suspenseful low brass melody.
Next was a spooky composition, the second movement from Barbara Harbach’s “Symphony #6: Night Soundings for orchestra.” This piece featured a recurring eerie melody by the flutes that added to the evening’s suspenseful ambiance.
The orchestra followed by playing “Dark Adventure” by Ralph Ford. With a lilting melody and crashing cymbals in the background, the piece intensified the spooky atmosphere created in the PAC Cafe.
Next was “La Bruja,” a piece inspired by Mexican folk music and written by Jorge Vargas. It featured a hauntingly beautiful melody played exclusively by the strings.
They then brought “March to the Scaffold” from the fourth movement of the “Symphonie Fantastique,” written by Hector Berlioz and performed first in 1830. The piece tells the story of a lovestruck artist who, in a drug-fueled dream, imagines witnessing his own hanging.
“I really liked playing March to the Scaffold because it was classical music,” senior and concertmaster Lexi Chua said. “I didn’t feel stressed about the performance. I think it was a much easier way to connect with the community because you’re just there for fun.”
The orchestra concluded their performance with a unique piece, “House of Untold Horrors” by Lauren Bernofsky. It featured Flaherty narrating the story of a man who entered a haunted house, never making it out alive, with the orchestra accompanying him.
