The Moore Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of founder Eric Kopecky, entertained the Sandhills area with a "celestial music of space" theme for the spring concert.

Composers spanned some 250 years, from Mozart to the contemporary John Williams, whose ubiquitous movie scores were easily recognized. Concert-goers remarked how well the orchestra sounded, having just been organized in 2005.

"Why, that was as good as the state symphony," one man commented upon leaving the venue.

A community orchestra is a labor of love, bringing together citizens of all ages, for example, students, teachers, and retirees, who are all musicians who share this common bond of playing from the heart. Additional volunteers are always sought to participate.

"The young people are awesome," said a participant who noticed their technical playing ability from her front row seat. Several deserving students were awarded scholarships from the orchestra for 2008 including: Kendall Bryant (violin); Nainisha Chintalapudi (violin); Chase Johnson (cello); Kaitlin Johnson (violin); and Rebekah Lynn (piano).

Timpani (known as kettledrums) and the familiar percussion instruments added a dramatic edge to the program, as did the prominent brass and woodwind solo parts. A strong showing of stringed instruments, necessary for an orchestra, gave elegance of both subtlety and boldness to the wide array of unique selections. The orchestra finale, "The Empire Strikes Back Medley," topped off the enjoyable evening.

This year the orchestra is hosted by Sandhills Community College, in addition to its partnership with the Arts Council of Moore County. Moore County Schools, which support the program through sharing rehearsal space.

A bevy of corporate sponsors have provided extensive resources for the many expenses involved in bringing quality music presentations to the area.

The generous support of sponsors and individuals has grown in addition to the expansion of the orchestra. The community is encouraged to spread the word to those who may be interested in joining the group.

The next concert will be given at the end of the year.

For more information visit www.mporchestra.com or phone Robert Hawkins, director of development at 910-295-7128, or e-mail moorephilorch@aol.com.