By STEPHANIE L. ROBERTSON

Madison City Youth Orchestra performed for an audience at Madison United Methodist Church May 7. The orchestra and conductors dressed in fun costumes to complement popular songs such as “Star Wars,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Princesses, pirates, cowpokes and superheroes played a variety of instruments from strings and woodwinds to brass and percussion. Founders of the orchestra, William and Rebecca Wortham, dressed up like Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The band consists mostly of children ages 4-18.

First on stage was the Novice I orchestra, the youngest group of students, who use the Suzuki Method.

The Novice II orchestra includes all ages. Following the Novice II group, Chris West conducted his Novice Percussion group. Cat Perry’s students performed a Prelude. The Beginning, Intermediate and Chamber orchestras also performed.

At the end of the concert, students were given awards for their hard work and dedication.

Madison City Youth Orchestra is the vision of Rebecca Wortham. “I had wanted to do (a youth orchestra) for a very long time, ever since I stopped teaching band in public schools, because here in Alabama there doesn’t appear to be a lot of string programs in the public school system,” she said. “They have the third and fourth grade string systems, but after that, there’s not an opportunity for kids to continue on with strings in the public school system … We have plenty of talent in Madison, and we have the great size of our city. Our kids need local opportunities, too.”

Her vision was fulfilled in 2013 when the Worthams teamed with Madison Band Supply owner Frank Cotton to begin the program. According to Wortham, Cotton sold his share of the nonprofit to the Worthams after six months because his business became so busy.

Madison City Youth Orchestra includes children with special needs and is a free program, offering a musical experience to children who cannot afford to participate in what are often expensive music programs.

Wortham said that the orchestra has served 307 students from five different counties.

Donations for the Spring Concert went back to the orchestra and to Dean Gardener, one of the orchestra’s directors, who had been hospitalized because of an accident and unable to attend the concert.

The musical scores for the concert were purchased by a $1,000 donation from Dale Jobes of Cintel.

Wortham said Madison City Youth Orchestra offered scholarships to students in the Morris Elementary School Soaring Strings Program. The scholarships provide a chance for the students to continue what they learned in the third and fourth grade string program.

As a nod to the parents of Madison City Youth Orchestra, Wortham said, “I just want to thank my parents and my boosters because they’re wonderful, and amazing, and they’re the backbone of everything.”