The Monroe-Woodbury High School Chamber Orchestra has performed in some auspicious competitions, but their appearance at St. George’s Church in Newburgh last month was unique. The 28 honors musicians – violinists, violists, cellists, and bassists -- took a master class with the Munich Philharmonic String Quartet, and then performed the opening selection from Benjamin Britten’s “Simple Symphony.” It served as a prelude to the quartet’s program, which featured composers spanning some 800 years, from the medieval St. Hildegarde von Bingen to Beethoven and Borodin.
For the class, the young musicians were led through a rigorous rehearsal of their concert selection under the tutelage of the four masters from Munich: violinists Bernhard Metz and Clement Courtin, violist Konstantin Sellheim, and cellist Manuel Von der Nahmer. The sounds of so many strings filled every corner of the landmark church, from the kitchen to reception rooms.
The audience, which filled the historic church on Newburgh’s east end, included many parents of the student musicians, as well as regular patrons of Newburgh Chamber Music (NCM), the concert’s sponsor, showed their approval with thunderous applause.
Jerry Haber, a Monroe-Woodbury cellist, was impressed with the class, and with the quartet. “The Munich Philharmonic String Quartet blew me away with the beauty of their sound,” he said. “I especially enjoyed learning from Manuel Van der Nahmer with my fellow cellists.”
Lauren Byrne, the orchestra’s director, said the masters immediately established a rapport with the student musicians. “The quartet helped the students finesse their piece for the performance, all the while learning a lot of invaluable information on technique and musicality,” she said. “The concert touched and inspired so many students,” she added. For some, it was their first classical concert.
In its 23 years of existence, NCM has brought the rich tradition of classical chamber music to Newburgh and the Hudson Valley. Many of its members are musicians and teachers, and support of music education is also part of its mission. Among its efforts is an instrument bank, which repairs donated instruments and returns them to music students in local schools.
Story credit: Mary Anne McEnery, Newburgh Chamber Music
Photo credit: Brian Wolfe