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The Mandolin Orchestra of Northwest Arkansas, circa 2014. Front row, from left: Jean Whelchel, Daniel Lancaster, Liz Finan. Back row, from left: Mark Lancaster, Inez Lancaster, Farren Mayfield, Max McCullough, Francie Fite, (visitor, name unknown), Linda Peck, Richard Stevens.
The Mandolin Orchestra of Northwest Arkansas is keeping the plucked string traditions of nations like Russia, Italy and Greece alive and modern in this community.
The collective of more than a dozen accomplished and amateur musicians displays the power of the mandolin by playing arrangements in the public domain, along with standards from The Beatles, movie theme songs, popular medleys and world music.
Over the last three years, the group has performed in venues like The Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens in Bentonville, the Historical Theater in Van Buren, the Jones Center Craft Fair in Springdale, and even at the Chik-Fil-A in Bentonville.
“Recently, we did our first actual performance where people paid to get in, and it was just us,” said member Daniel Lancaster, 26. “We’ve opened for other bands, and sometimes we play special events. Like if there’s a special event on the square, we’ll play there.”
Their first full-length stage concert, titled “Mandolins in the Moonlight,” was April 18 at The Dream Theatre in Tahlequah, Okla.
Inez Lancaster, Daniel’s mom, serves as the orchestra’s concert-mistress and has played in the San Diego Mandolin Orchestra, along with her whole family.
Inez founded the group along with her husband Mark Lancaster and members Frank Mulliken, Denise Mulliken and Clarke Buehling on Feb. 7, 2012.
Daniel started playing mandolin precisely since the group’s founding, but he’s played violin from a young age.
The transition to mandolin was natural, as it shares the same strings (EDAG) and fingerings as the violin but is “played with a pick.”
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In case you were wondering: yes, the bass mandolin exists. And Richard Stevens plays it.
Daniel played second violin for the string orchestra at Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Mo. He describes the mandolin orchestra’s setup as similar to that of a traditional string orchestra: first mandolin, second mandolin, third mandolin, bass mandolin, guitar, then some extra instruments every once in a while, like a banjo mandolin.
“I play what’s called the octave mandola. It’s a lower voice, just one octave lower than a regular mandolin,” he said. “We have some balalaika players, but we haven’t actually played balalaika in this particular orchestra.”
The Mandolin Orchestra’s next performance will be June 13 at noon on the outdoor stage at the Arts on the Avenue, again in Tahlequah, Okla. It is free to the public.
The group invites plucked string players who can read music to join the rehearsals Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. at Cross Church, Springdale. More information at MandolinOrchestraNWA.com.
