Music is one of the most popular extra curricular activities in the performing arts. Here, at Germantown Academy (GA), students have the opportunity to play music in Band, Choir, and Orchestra. The GA high school Strings Orchestra consists of about 30 students, playing the violin, viola, cello or bass under the direction of conductor Mr. Christopher Horner. Hoping to spread the joys of music with the rest of the community, students prepare to perform at the annual luncheon of the Women’s Club of Suburban Philadelphia on April 11, 2026.
The Women’s Club of Suburban Philadelphia is a club dedicated to the welfare of children. These women devote themselves to raising funds to donate to children in need. They raise funds by participating in various aspects of the Annual Luncheon, such as inviting guests to attend, contributing a gift basket for the raffles, selling raffle tickets, donating funds to the event and donating to a holiday fund for children’s charities. These women donate to charities such as One House at a Time (OHAAT), The Baby Bureau, Beds for Kids, Mission Kids and many more.
GA has been connected to this group, as many retired and current teachers are involved. After reaching out last year, the jazz combo was the first from GA to perform at the luncheon. Wanting to continue this tradition, Mr. Horner is bringing the Strings Orchestra to the event at Cedarbrook Country Club this year.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some old colleagues of mine and knowing that we’re going to be making it a nice day for them,” Mr. Horner said.
In preparation, students took time out of their schedules to attend rehearsals in order to practice the music. Students who are excited and willing to take it on demonstrate going above and beyond in their music careers, while also contributing to a good cause.
“The people who volunteered are very enthusiastic about participating. I expect that they’d do a good job and be prepared to play a lot of music,” Mr. Horner said. “This is a great opportunity for our Honors Strings students to put the ‘Honors’ in Honors Strings.”
Compared to playing in a large orchestra, only a few students will be playing on April 11.
“It’s a smaller group, so you’re learning how to listen to everyone around you,” Anushka Sen ‘28 said. “It’s also a longer time that you’re playing because you’re playing background music so it’s not meant to be as flashy but pleasant to listen to in the background and stamina: you need to have great endurance.”
However, the event is casual compared to a concert, giving students the opportunity to expand their skills without the same amount of pressure.
“If you know the people, it’s not intimidating, because some of these people are GA teachers,” Eliza Yu ‘28 said.
So far, students that have participated have been able to notice improvements in their playing, which has helped them with their performance at Orchestra at GA.
“We’ve done some practicing in school, and I’ve done a little bit at home, and it’s been nice to see the difference when I put in the time at school once I go back home: I can see how much better I’ve gotten,” Sen said. “The pieces we’ve gone over at school come easier to me, and I can play them better.”
The students participating in this event look forward to making an impact with their music. Through playing for women in the charity fundraiser, students are not only sharing their musical talents, but are supporting a cause greater than themselves.