Avery Cotton, Reporter
@averyccourant
An expectant murmur reverberates among the audience, a prelude to a symphony. From behind a concealed door adjacent to the concert hall, two musicians step out. The director announces, “Andrew Armstrong and James Ehnes!” Deafening applause erupts from the audience as the cavernous hall becomes bathed in inky blackness.
A similar scene played out on the morning of October 28 in the auditorium. Andrew Armstrong, a prestigious pianist, and James Ehnes, a world-renowned violinist, performed a duet for the school’s music students. The concert lasted approximately an hour and covered a variety of works by classical composers such as Brahms. This event provided a special opportunity for students to hear the celebrated musicians and soak up the musical atmosphere.
The concert was organized by Leo Ficks, director of the school orchestra. “As far as I know, there has been no greater musician or artist than Ehnes to play here at NCHS,” Mr. Ficks said. Mr. Ficks spoke similarly of Armstrong, an NCHS graduate who went on to become an acclaimed musician. Aside from playing duets together, both musicians play concertos, music for orchestras accompanied by a soloist, with major orchestras and symphonies all over the world.
Armstrong spoke about his career and experiences at NCHS to the choir, band, orchestra and music tech students. Shortly after graduating from NCHS, Armstrong launched his musical career.
Both musicians are also distinguished by their extensive musical repertoires. In fact, one could start naming pieces and these musicians would be able to play them from memory, according to Mr. Ficks. With such prestige, their schedules are always chock-full of performances and concerts in places such as Sweden and England, making this a really special opportunity. “The way I would equate it using a sports analogy would be like bringing in Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes to talk to the football team,” Mr. Ficks said.
Since the onset of the pandemic almost two years ago, safety protocol has rendered it nearly impossible to host an in-person concert. “I think that this opportunity to be live and to hear something at a very close distance is really irreplaceable,” Mr. Ficks said. “I’m hoping that this is something they’ll never forget.”
The concert received positive feedback from the students that attended. According to Alyssa Mulligan, a violinist for the school orchestra and senior at the high school, the performance was “beautifully done.”
Alyssa added that after the concert was over, there was a Q&A session in which she had the opportunity to ask a question. Through this session, she received insight into the performer’s own experiences. “NCHS should absolutely host more performances because these concerts encourage students to participate in more activities and clubs,” Alyssa said. “They introduce students to music and what it’s all about.”
