The newest orchestra in the valley, the North Okanagan Valley Orchestra has collected 35 members since forming last fall.
The musicians are of all ages and skill levels which creates a unique opportunity for musicians to come together and play in the North Okanagan.
“We are trying to fill a gap, there was no communbity orchestra in Vernon,” said president of the North Okanagan Valley Orchestra, Annette Toop. “Some of the players [and I] were travelling to Kamloops to play with the community orchestra [there] and so we wanted to start one here.”
Now they meet in the Vernon Community Music School’s Carriage House every other week to rehearse.
“We’re just creating our own little community orchestra niche and that’s where we want to stay and we would just like to invite more players to join us,” said Toop.
For the orchestra members, every rehearsal is a treasured opportunity.
“I always wanted to be in an orchestra, that’s the ultimate music group, I think,” said Rosalynn MacGregor, North Okanagan Valley Orchestra member. “I am so glad they started this one up in a place I can actually travel to to play in.”
The orchestra is led by conductor Terry Pitt-Brooke as the musicians prepare for their upcoming spring concert at the end of the month.
“The Vernon Community Band is sharing their concert with us and when I found out that they were going to be playing a piece called ‘Dance Fever’ I couldn’t resist calling our part of the concert ‘Classical Dance Fever’ because everything we are doing is based on an old dance form,” said Pitt-Brooke.
The concert will take place May 31 at 7 p.m. at Trinity United Church in Vernon, B.C. and admission is by donation.