The Sequim Community Orchestra, where no auditions are required, enters its fourth year with a family concert this week.

Players of all ages from the second-year strings class to seasoned violinists play at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb 20, in Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave.

The main orchestra of more than 40 musicians will play Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” “Fiddle Tunes” by Ralph Matesky, an arrangement from “Romeo and Juliet” and more.

Students will play a handful of beginner’s tunes such as “The Grasshopper Ball,” Mainstreet March” and more. Prior to the show, listeners can meet and greet with musicians at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments provided after the show.

Music director Phil Morgan-Ellis said the students are “quite remarkable” for their age.

“It’s possibly the best strings class I’ve taught in a long time,” he said.

Morgan-Ellis’ nine students, who started with the orchestra’s introductory strings classes last year, are playing much more difficult literature than customary, he said.

They are beginning to learn individual pieces written for their violin or cello, Morgan-Ellis said, whereas the first-year beginner’s class of 15 students is learning their instruments with the same sheet music.

Through donations and grants, students in fourth grade and up (but all ages are welcome) can participate for free but must provide their own instrument. They meet 3:15 p.m. at Greywolf Elementary after school.

Four years in, Morgan-Ellis said its been a great experience working with an appreciative group of orchestra members.

“I have been a teacher a long time (27 years in the Port Angeles School District) and it’s really great for me personally to get back into teaching group lessons and adults at this level, especially with such an appreciative group,” he said.

The orchestra and students’ classes are open throughout the year and the community orchestra will begin learning new music after this concert at its March 3 meeting from 7-9 p.m. in the James Center for Performing Arts, 202 N. Blake Ave.

For more information, visit www.sequimcommunityorchestra.org or e-mail info@sequimcommunity

orchestra.org.