The Goshen College Symphony Orchestra had their first full concert of the year on Saturday. This also marks the first concert with Mark Douglass, the new associate professor of music and director of GCSO.

Prior to the concert, GCSO debuted with the first movement of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 at the Homecoming Music Gala. Since then, they have had time to settle in with Douglass, polish what they had already performed and learn new repertoire.

At the concert on Saturday, GCSO performed “Tocatta” from Claudio Monteverdi’s opera “L’Orfeo,” along with Peter Warlock’s “Capriol Suite” and the entirety of Beethoven’s  Symphony No. 1.

Douglass mentioned that there has been noticeable growth in the ensemble during this first semester, especially since their first performance.

He said, “I think the most significant growth has been in the orchestra’s confidence and ability to listen and respond to one another. At the beginning of the semester, we were getting acquainted, learning how to communicate musically and establishing expectations.”

“Since the Homecoming Music Gala, I have heard greater cohesion, more confident playing and a growing awareness of how each individual contributes to the larger ensemble. We are beginning to develop a shared musical language, and that is exciting,” Douglass said.

Natalie Neufeld, a sophomore nursing major and one of the first violins in GCSO reflected on how the rehearsal process has been with Douglass as a new director,  “He is very detail-oriented, which is good. He’ll send out a list of specific things that he wants us to practice and work on with measure numbers which I think is useful,” she said.

Marta Bergstresser, a first-year social work and music major and cellist in GCSO, added to Neufeld’s appreciation. “The rehearsal process is very collaborative. Mark likes to hear our input about what kind of music we like to play and how he can motivate us in our practice.”

Douglass was pleased with the concert and shared about their program. “We presented a challenging and varied program, spanning more than 400 years of musical history … Each work presented different musical and technical challenges, and I thought the students rose to the occasion beautifully,” he said.

“I want our students to experience the excitement of performing great music at a high level, but I also want them to understand that an orchestra is a community. It requires listening, trust, preparation  and a willingness to contribute to something larger than ourselves,” Douglass said.

Bergstresser sees this sentiment reflected in Douglass’s teaching. “I appreciate that Mark is very encouraging and, at the same time, holds us to a standard. I think this keeps us all on the same page since the orchestra is made up of a variety of skills and experience levels,” she said.

Douglass said, “Ultimately, I want our students to leave Goshen not only as stronger musicians, but also with a lifelong appreciation for the extraordinary experience of making music together.”