The Stratford High Orchestra ranked 5th overall and ranked highest among Houston-area orchestras during the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Orchestra Competition, held Oct. 20-21 in Austin. Twenty-eight schools from across Texas submitted fall concert recordings; only six orchestras were invited to Austin for second-round reviews.
Other top scoring Texas orchestras hailed from Plano West and East high schools, and Westwood, Jasper and Seven Lakes high schools. The Stratford High Orchestra has also been selected to perform as part of the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City on March 22, 2008.
Looking ahead, the Stratford Symphony Orchestra will perform Schubert’s Mass in G with the Stratford High Choir under the direction of Peter Steinmetz at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 at Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, located at Katy Freeway and Wirt Road.
The Stratford Junior Varsity orchestras, meanwhile, will perform 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in the Stratford High Auditorium. Guest artists include the Spring Forest Middle School Orchestra and internationally known fiddle ensemble Barrage from Canada. A Dessert Party and Silent Auction will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Stratford High Orchestra.