Around 120 students donned in their best dress clothes—boys sporting black suits and girls clad in long black dresses—boarded three buses yesterday at 1:15 p.m. to travel to Eureka High School.

The concert and symphonic orchestras competed at the Large Ensemble Festival yesterday. Both orchestras received exemplary ‘1’ ratings in both the performance and sight-reading portions of the competition. Scoring ranges from one to five, one being the best and five being the worst.

However, James Nacy, orchestra teacher, was not in attendance due to illness. Cellist Julie Holzen, junior, conducted the symphonic orchestra in Nacy’s place for the performance portion of the festival, while Michael Blackwood, orchestra teacher, conducted the sight-reading section and the concert orchestra.

“It was incredibly nerve-wracking because it wasn’t something I was expecting, of course,” Hozen said. “It took a little bit of work and it was just a large amount of cooperation between myself and the rest of the orchestra, but it felt better the more we worked with it.”

The symphonic orchestra has been working to communicate better with their audience and to play as a unit, rather than as individuals, Hozen said. Symphonic orchestra performed three movements from one work.

Despite the constant influx of graduating seniors and incoming freshman each year, Hozen said this year the group has been working together really well.

“Orchestra is a very social thing so as we become friends throughout the year goes on that sort of reflects  in our playing and how we work together,” Hozen said.

Violist Lauren Jenkins, sophomore, said it was difficult to play on a different stage with a different conductor, but she said they did well considering the circumstances.

“You had to pay attention to all the people around you to make sure you’re all together,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins, along with freshmen Michelle Li, Sydney Goehler and Jessica Bauer and juniors Lydia Kang, Leslie Shang and Matt Woerner, also received exemplary ‘1’ ratings in their respective solos a few weeks ago in the Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Jenkins also performed a duet with Arina Radomyselsky, sophomore. The duo received a ‘1’ and therefore will compete at State in May.

After Spring Break, symphonic orchestra will travel to Atlanta to compete in another festival.