Elementary string students to perform

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Ralph Stewart

On Wednesday, January 13, the nearly 200 string players who comprise the All-Island Elementary String Program will perform their winter concert at the Performing Arts Center of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School. The stage is one of only a few on the Island large enough to accommodate this number of performers.

The appetite for string lessons for young children on Martha’s Vineyard is an unusual phenomenon. One out of every seven children in grades one through eight play string instruments.

Teachers Nancy Jephcote, Chelsea Pennebaker, and new teacher Ariadne Nevin work together with accompanist Carol Loud to give the children a well-rounded musical adventure from the time-worn beginning piece, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” through Vivaldi’s “Winter” and Bach’s “Gavotte in D Major,” with detours through other material including the “Batman Theme.” Eighth-grader Thorpe Karrabees will be a featured soloist on cello.

Both the advanced and intermediate orchestras will perform. The concert is free of charge and begins at 6:30 pm.