Courtesy of Amy Peacemen, Multicultural Committee chairperson
The Symphony Orchestra of Kaiserslautern played Hadyn’s 31st Symphony for the students at Landstuhl Elementary School on May 1. Christian Weidt, the orchestra’s conductor, was assisted by Joachim and Johanna Hentschel, whose narration took the students on a musical journey. Led by four French horns playing the main themes, the students accompanied the king on a hunt, followed by a delightful minuet at court.
In the afternoon, the musicians visited elementary classrooms to let the children try out their instruments.
The musicians were impressed by the discipline and receptivity of American students, the extensive facilities, the generous buffet provided by the parents and the support of the Parent Teacher Association that funded the visit.
This is the sixth time the orchestra has played at LEMS in past 15 years, winning a prestigious social and cultural prize for its work fostering German-American relations and music appreciation in children.
The orchestra performs seven concerts a year, often at the Kaiserslautern Fruchthalle and Ramstein Haus des Bürgers as well as in the surrounding areas.