The second group which performed was The Brass Section, made up of Richard Bogenrief of Merrill, Julie Hulstein of Sioux Center, Vance Shoemaker of Hawarden, Charles Dibley of Rock Valley and Scott Olsen of Mission Hill, South Dakota. They were outstanding. Especially fun to hear was the interesting version of "Amazing Grace," showing the excellent trumpeting work of Olsen. The crowd loved it.

lovely sounds were made all the more magical by the skilled orchestra, and the members clearly enjoyed performing it. Then, together with the Valley Male Chorus, the orchestra performed "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," which was fantastic. The audience gave several standing ovations, and the final piece deservedly received another standing ovation.

It is amazing that a rural region can nurture three such excellent musical groups. The Valley Male Chorus, for example, rehearses every Sunday afternoon in the winter, I was told, and will soon be leaving for a tour in Wisconsin. I hope that this outstanding group will sing with the orchestra in Sioux Center again. Combining this group of singers in the Winter Pops concert was a stroke of genius. The other two musical groups, The Brass Section and the orchestra, are great assets to this region. With the orchestra, for example, there is an added opportunity for young musicians in high school to participate in an outstanding orchestra. Those of you who are parents of musicians, I encourage you to encourage them to think about being members of the orchestra. It is a great opportunity to sit beside accomplished musicians, and the possiblities of learning are limitless.

Lin, who was born in Taiwan and who now is an associate professor at Drake University in Des Moines, made the Mozart composition soar with her joyous and skilled interpretation. Her fascination with the work was obvious, and this made her performance such a treat to hear. She translated all of Mozart's exuberance and romanticism with an ease and naturalness which was a thrill to witness. At the conclusion of her performance, she was given a bouquet of flowers&emdash;and a hug&emdash;from a young woman in the audience, along with a much-deserved standing ovation from the audience.

Before the Lin performance, the orchestra performed "Chester Overture" by William Schuman. This was directed by Tim McGarvey, the orchestra's assistant conductor. "Chester" was an interesting opener for the evening's program. A beautiful hymn tune was the first of the arrangement, presented by the woodwinds and then picked up by the brass.

As I have said many times before while writing about the orchestra, I am constantly amazed at these musicians' outstanding abilities. The orchestra is a big credit to this region, and deserves the public's enthusiastic support. There were many people who attended the concert, but the excellence of the performances deserved a packed house with people standing in the aisles&emdash;the concert was that great!

But even after all of her experiences and travels, Lin doesn't find it the least bit dull to return April 29 to Sioux Center to play with the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra in its spring concert.

"I like getting into a small community and seeing what the community has to offer," she says. "To me, going back is like seeing old friends."

Lin played with the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra about six years ago, and says it is neat to see the community members and students making music together.

"It's very touching for me to see," she says.

Lin, an associate professor at Drake University in Des Moines, also plays with Fine Arts Trio and Des Moines Symphony Orchestra.

Although she may not reach the standard that she does while playing with professionals, she says professionals often don't have that kind of enthusiasm, and adds a bit cynically, "Well, we're doing it for the money."

Lin will accompay the 100-member orchestra on "Mozart's Piano Concerto in Eb." "I love it," Lin says. "It's very unusual." She has never played the song before, and wanted to expand her literature. Lin thinks it also will be refreshing to come back to Mozart, after recently performing music by the Romanian performer Enesco with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra.

"This month, my musical experience has been so rich," she says.

"She's just a very espressive player," says conductor Henry Duitman. "She's ideal for a Mozart concerto."

Kristin Sybesma, a freshmen at Dordt, has been playing vioulin and piano with the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra since she was in sixth grade. She took lessons under Chui-Ling Lin in Des Moines a few summers ago.

"She's just amazing," Sybesma says. "I really liked her a lot. She plays with a lot of energy."

Born in Taiwan, Lin went through miusic training in Singapore, where she received the LIcentiat "with Distinction" from the Royal School of Music program. Since then she has appeared in perfomances in New York, Boston, Chicago, England, Latin America and throughout the Far East.

Lin has a history of playing everthing from classic ragtime to concerts that mix Latin American and Chinese composers. She loves to juxtapose the two types of music because they embody the personalities of two very different cultures. She says Latin American music is very rhythmical and uninhibited, while Chinese tends toward the subtle and suggestive.

On her trip, Lin will meet with local music teachers to conduct a workshop on piano techniques and share ideas. "That itself gives me a little sparkle," she says.

Since the Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra began 11 years ago, many of the members also have had the chance to pass on their musical knowledge with area budding musicians. The musicians in the group range from 10 years old to 80-plus.

According to Duitman, he sees the purpose of the group as both educational and cultural. A little less than half ot the group in comprised of students from Dordt, Northwestern and other area schools. Years ago, they accepted a number of students, "They've stuck with the orchestra and are really the manistay," Duitman says. "All of them are with us and have gotten alot better.

The region's sparse population is the main reason for a combination semi-pro, community and college orchestra. But, even though in many communities there are separate adult and youth orchestra orchestras, Duitman says it makes more sense to combine the two. "It's really neat for all the students members, because they can play alongside professionals and learn a lot from them," he says.\

Others like Tim Rylaarsdam, a lawyer in Sioux Center, also see it as a chance to continue their music. Rylaarsdam played classical music throughtout school, and even toured acrss Europe. "Having put that much time into it, even though I'm busy, it's hard to put it down and let those skills deteriorate," he says.

And, he says, "It's very rewarding to see the orchestra progressing far beyond what they were in '84 and '85."

Duitman attributes the improved quality of the group to practice and community support. "It's a circular thing," he says. "The better they get, the more people come to see them, and the more people come to see them, the better they get."

In addition to the Mozart selection, associate conductor Tim McGarvey, instrumental music director at Northwestern College, will direct the wind and percussion sections of the orchestra in presenting "Chester" by Schuman.

The group also will perform the "Symphony No. 2 in D Major" by Johannes Brahms, which recognizes the 200th anniversary of Brahms' death on April 15.

According to Duitman, most community orchestras wouldn't attempt Grahms piece because of its difficulty. "It's tremendously exciting and tremendously beautifull," he says.

Lin says that she's been seeing Brahms performed in many places because of the anniversary. "It is very difficult, but somehow this is the piece to do," she says, "It's good for a community ofrchestra to tackle something like that. They may not do total justice to the piece, but somewhere a student needs to get training."

"The growth in the quality of players over the last several years has been phenomenal," says conductor Dr. Henry Duitman, a professor in Dordt's music department. He attributes the growth to several things. One is the orchestra's make-up. Unlike most orchestras, which have either all paid players or all volunteers, NISO hires teaching professionals as principal players for each instrument. These professional musicians not only lead by their playing, but also conduct sectionals with the other players during the season. This arrangement helps members smooth out the rough spots in their playing and enables them to do a better job of playing as a unit.

"We also have several students who began in the lower chairs while they were in junior high or high school and who, through private lessons and regular orchestra playing, have become excellent players," Duitman adds. He credits the caliber of local elementary and high school music programs with giving the orchestra the depth it has.

This setting provides a wonderful opportunity for Dordt student members, many of whom have been All-State players in their high school years, says Duitman. All members of the Dordt College Chamber Orchestra are also members of NISO.

"Few college students are able to play in an orchestra with professional musicians," he says. Violist Catherine Palmer, a sophomore from Long Pine, Nebraska, agrees. "One of the neatest parts about NISO is the wide range of ages and talents of its members. Students really benefit from sitting next to professionals during rehearsals," she says.

These principals are playing for more than the relatively small amount of money they earn doing so. Many of them, although only hired for some of the rehearsals, come every time because they enjoy it and are committed to the orchestra, says Duitman. Their dedication is an inspiration to everyone else.

How does NISO find professional musicians in a rural area? Several of the principals have chosen to live in the Midwest for the lifestyle it offers. In addition to another "job" and playing in NISO, they play in orchestras in Sioux City and Sioux Falls and teach privately and at colleges in the area. For example, Vance Shoemaker, NISO's principal trombone player, farms, plays in three orchestras, and is an adjunct faculty member in Dordt's music department.

Although few students come to Dordt just to play in the orchestra, once they have decided they want a Christian college education, the orchestra does influence their decision, says Duitman.

"As a boy growing up in Wisconsin, I saw kids in public schools getting a strong music education, while those in Christian schools were left behind. I believed then and firmly believe now that no one should be penalized musically for choosing a Christian college education."

Good students in winds or brass really need to have an orchestral experience, since that is where most of the masterworks are performed, adds Duitman. The NISO experience gives them just that.

Duitman, who spends a great deal of time choosing music, is very aware of the educational role of the orchestra for the audience and especially for the student players.

"They need to be able to play a variety of styles and repertoire: baroque, impressionistic, classical, romantic, and twentieth century," says Duitman. They also need to be challenged but not overwhelmed by the difficulty of the music.

Although NISO is most definitely a community orchestra, Dordt has firmly thrown its support behind it because of the benefits it provides for students.

Nearly ten years ago, when the orchestra was going through some difficult times and debating whether to continue, President J.B. Hulst pledged the college's support because he believed it was important for Dordt students to be able to participate, says Duitman. Today Dordt supports the orchestra primarily with "in-kind" services. It gives Duitman time in his course load to conduct, provides rehearsal and concert facilities, and purchases the music, which becomes part of Dordt's expanding music library.

Despite this support the orchestra still has to work to keep afloat. Initial state grants that helped the orchestra get started have been severely cut. But increasing ticket sales and expanded local support have allowed the orchestra not only to continue but to grow.