On Oct. 28, the Lexington High School orchestras performed at the 2025 Fall String Fling at Cary Hall. The event featured a combined performance by all three of the school’s orchestras: Repertoire, Symphony, and Chamber. 

The Fall String Fling is an annual concert held in autumn to present what the orchestra members have learned and practiced in the first few months of the school year. The concert also acts as a fundraiser for their upcoming field trip to the Midwest Clinic in Illinois.

“It was a way to show the audience our progress that we made at the start of the year,” Ian Chung, a sophomore and member of the Chamber Orchestra, said.

To prepare for the Fall String Fling, the orchestras utilized various strategies to practice their pieces, both individually and collectively. 

“You have to bring your music home and practice your music […]But then, as an orchestra during class time, we really worked on tempo, playing together, and working on dynamics, [such as] the contrast between a piano and a forte,” Lyla So, a junior and member of the Symphony Orchestra, said.

Not only did the orchestras practice multiple pieces, but they also faced a short turnaround. Since the performance was in October, the orchestras had limited time to prepare their pieces.

“For the pieces we played during the concert, we focused a lot on [them] right before the concert and put in a lot of extra rehearsals,” Mari Kang, a sophomore and member of the Chamber Orchestra, said. “It took a lot of effort.”

Preparing for the concert as a whole ensemble was also a challenging process.

“When we combined [the orchestras], that was the first time we played together as a whole. It was really hard to adjust to hearing everyone, and even seeing the conductor if you were in the very back,” So said.

Despite some of the hardships the orchestras faced before and during the event, many members seemed to enjoy their time at the Fall String Fling, both playing with and experiencing the other orchestras’ music.

“I think it was really fun to listen to all the work that everyone else was doing,” said Kang. “It was nice to be able to perform [the pieces] after all the work we put in.” 

Overall, the concert helped the orchestras and their members gain vital experience for future performances. 

“Something I learned is that there’s always room for improvement,” Andrew Cui, a sophomore and member of the Symphony Orchestra, said. “You have to take [your] mistakes and build your skills as an entire orchestra and individually.”