Like recorders? Listen to this entire orchestra of them

Recorders may have been dismissed as elementary school noisemakers, but in the hands of skilled musicians, these instruments can create enchanting melodies.

Conductor of the Okanagan Recorder Orchestra (ORO) Peter DeRoche, has been on a mission to showcase the group's talents to a wider audience.

"My goals with this group were to get them out and known in the community and put on a performance for Kelowna as a whole and let the city know that they have this hidden musical gem," he told Kelowna10.

Despite his initial concerns about the group's enthusiasm for his vision, DeRoche was thrilled to find that the musicians were eager to take on new challenges and expand their horizons.

“I thought it was going to be a battle. And they just jumped on board and said, ‘Yes, let's do it,” he said. “They're the most positive, most fun-loving bunch of people and they are passionate about their playing.”

This group of musicians first originated in 2001 with the seniors' learning centre. In 2018, they ventured off to form their own individual group. It consists of members of the Kelowna City Band, retired music teachers, and other professionals from the Okanagan region.

Although the pandemic put a temporary halt to their performances, they came back once restrictions were lifted.

The orchestra is comprised of various types of recorders, including the sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, and contrabass.

While some people may associate recorders with loud, plastic instruments from their elementary school days, DeRoche explains these instruments are capable of much more and that it wasn’t till the 20th century they started to make a comeback.

"Composers started to write serious music for recorder, and people just kind of went, 'wow, we forgot all about these instruments.' And they're not just for elementary school music classes," he said. “There became this almost a revival of recorder players and groups started to form. There's a big international society that's down in the United States, and it has grown exponentially over the years.”

Performance dates and more information about the Okanagan Recorder Orchestra can be found online.