Londonderry’s orchestra community to string together a musical performance
Londonderry’s orchestra community to come together tonight to put on a combined performance for the community.
The time for the annual Londonderry District Strings Festival has arrived. Today, Tuesday, March 21, 2022, North, South, Matthew Thorton, LMS, and Londonderry High School’s orchestras will come together to perform their practiced pieces. The festival will take place at the LHS Gym from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Admission is free, although the Friends of Music are accepting donations.
The annual District Strings Festival is often an opportunity for high school orchestra players to reflect on how far they have come, and for elementary and middle school players to learn new techniques.
“This concert is where all the schools come to perform as one unit, bringing people of all ages together,” senior LHS Orchestra member Aika Chen said. “It’s really something great!
This event is a concert with a twist. Each school will perform their own pieces, however, certain schools will perform a piece together.
The Beginner String Orchestra ( Fourth Grade), directed by Molly Goldstein, will be performing the following pieces:
- Seminole Chant
- Lightly Row
- Dreidel
- Song For Christine
- Natalie’s Rose
The Second Year String Orchestra, directed by Molly Goldstein, will be performing the following pieces:
- Bluebird’s Song
- Oak Hollow
- A-Tisket, A-Tasket
- Russian Folk Tune
- Tallis Canon
- Variations on a Familiar Song
The Londonderry Middle School String Orchestra, directed by Molly Goldstein, will be performing the following pieces:
Jupiter Rising………Gustav Holst, Arr. Carrie Lane Gruselle
Shenandoah……………………….……. Arr. David Shaffer
Double Agent …..……… Brian Balmages
The Londonderry Middle and High School Orchestra will be performing:
The Mandalorian …. Ludwig Goransson, Arr. Robert Longfield.
The Londonderry High School, directed by LHS Music Directors Serge Beaulieu and Emily Dawson, will be performing the following:
Palladio …. Karl Jenkins
Inverno …. Antonio Vivaldi, Arr. Todd Parrish.
Iditarod …. Soon Hee Newbold.
To close the concert, all elementary school orchestras, along with the middle and high school orchestra, will play Pachelbel’s Canon in D together.
Those who started orchestra in elementary school in Londonderry have been a part of this festival for almost eight years. Every year, the concert ends with the combined piece of Canon in D. As a result, this closing piece is near and dear to the hearts of seniors in Londonderry.
“I’m excited for the pieces we’re going to play, but it’s bittersweet that [this festival] is our last one,” senior LHS Orchestra member Riley Wolk said. “I’m going to miss it a ton.”

Senior Alisha Khalil has been on staff for 3 years. Starting as a reporter her sophomore year, she is now The Lancer Spirit's Online Chief, Political Analyst, and News Editor. She started The Lancer Spirit's first Political news column. In her free time, Alisha enjoys making coffee and listening to music.