The Elijah Orchestra

By Marshall Sanders 

The orchestra for Elijah is like nothing we have ever put together before at St. Andrew’s.  For this particular event, there are 40 strings, 11 woodwinds, 11 brass, and timpani.  This special orchestra is made up of the majority of the volunteers from the St. Andrew’s orchestra, plus several additional players who either wanted to play this fantastic work, or who joined us to fill a few vacancies in Mendelssohn’s orchestration.  All in all, it is by far the finest group of musicians I have ever worked with in my 35-year career in church music!  Not only is it an honor to work with them, but it is so wonderful to be able to share this experience with so many of you, my friends, family, and church. 

When Mendelssohn first performed ELIJAH, in Birmingham, England, on August 26, 1846, his production was truly large scale, with 125 in the orchestra (93 strings!).  I can only imagine what an awesome experience that must have been.  The amount of sound, the energy and passion of a premiere!   

We at St. Andrew’s have truly been blessed by amazing orchestral performances since our new building opened in 2005.  The Southern Arizona Symphony, The Tucson Symphony, The Tucson Chamber Orchestra, The Tucson Chamber Artists, and our own St. Andrew’s Orchestra.  Few churches in this country have had as many opportunities to host great music of this caliber.  We are definitely blessed! 

Get your tickets now to guarantee yourself a seat for ELIJAH, where you will hear another wonderful orchestral performance! 

My next article will tell you about the Elijah CHORUS.  Watch for it.