Annie Foxen, Erin McGowan, Emily Spain, Nicole Nuzzolo, Katarina The end of the year has come at last, and village volunteers, including some Board of Trustees members and the president of EPOA, gathered to celebrate at the firehouse. (For more information about the EPOA, visit www.gcepoa.org.) For the first time ever, this annual event included live music entertainment. Aria Bella, a string quintet consisting of three violins, a viola, and a cello, volunteered to play for the party, and the music was a smashing success! The group of girls played a wide variety of songs, including May it be, from Lord of the Rings, Bach’s Air on G String, and an Intermezzo, from the Italian opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. A favorite among the crowd was the old Scottish folksong, Loch Lomond.

The five girls have been playing together since third grade as beginners at Steward and Stratford. At the time, they could never have imagined the excitement an instrument could bring them. Today, all the girls are involved in not only their high school orchestra, but other orchestras as well, such as the Orchestra for Talented Youth, Metropolitan Youth Orchestra, and Kammermusik. They have played at several Long Island Strings and All County Festivals, and even at Carnegie Hall. “I love being part of big orchestras, but forming your own group is such a unique and exciting experience that you can’t get from anything else,” says Annie, the violinist. Erin, another violinist, exclaims, “It’s so much fun playing together and sharing our love of music.”

Aria Bella is available to play for all of your special celebrations, including anniversaries, birthdays, and parties. If you’re interested in having them play for your next event, visit their website at ariabella.webs.com, or call Annie at (516) 491-2504.