Please click here to open the full version of this message on my website. If you only read the emailed version, you’ll miss a lot!

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer so far. The WSW Board has already met twice since our May concert, and several committees have been established to make our 25th season our very best. I have been working on the programming, and am very excited about the literature and guest artists with whom we’ll be working this year. At the end of this post you’ll see the news about all of our guest conductors and soloists for the season. But first, I need your help.

The three concerts will be sub-titled: “New Beginnings” on November 4, “Our Favorite Things” on February 10, and the 25th Anniversary Gala Concert on May 18. For the February concert, I want to invite you to participate in the programming. Please complete the form below to tell me two things: your favorite work which we have previously played in the past, and what new work you’d like to play this year. (Click here to see a list of all works programmed since May, 2008; before that date you’ll have to consult your own sources.) Please complete the form by July 10 (be sure to click Submit to send your choices) and I will compile the responses. Hopefully, we’ll have a consensus to program two of Our Favorite Things on the February program.

Here’s the form. You may need to use the scroll bar to access the bottom portion of the form to get to the Submit button. When you’re done, keep reading all the way to the bottom of this post to read about all of our wonderful guests in 2012-2013, and about a summer band performance opportunity for you.

Thanks for sending me your favorites!

So here is the lineup of guests for our 25th Anniversary Season:

Fall – Our guest soloist is MSgt Troy Messner, horn, of the West Point Band, and our guest conductor is Jeff Grogan, Education & Community Engagement Conductor for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and formerly a member of the conducting faculties at Ithaca College, University of Michigan, and Baylor University.

Winter – Our guest soloist is MSgt Bill Owens, associate principal trumpet, of the West Point Band, and our guest conductor is Dr. Emily Threinen, Director of Bands at Temple University.

Spring – Our guests for this program are all returning artists and friends. The soloists for this program include Lois Hicks-Wozniak, alto saxophone (who played with us at my first concert, the 20th Anniversary Gala), and Barbara Ciannella, piano, playing Rhapsody in Blue, in a wonderful arrangement by Donald Hunsberger. Our guest conductor is Tom McCauley, Director of Bands at Montclair State University. And we have tentative plans for one more special guest, but I will wait to announce that until it is completely secured.

The next posting will include the complete rehearsal schedule for the season, and will include a form asking for your commitment. Please watch for that in the next couple days.

Lastly, I have been asked to perform as guest conductor for the Sound Beach Concert Band concert on Sunday, July 29 in Greenwich. Several of you have played in this group before, and I would welcome any more of you who might like to play. Rehearsals are July 17, 24, and 26 at 7:00 pm, and the concert sound check is Sunday, July 29 at 5:00 pm, concert at 7:00 pm. Rain date is Monday, July 30. Our own Tim Takagi is performing as soloist (Mozart Horn Concerto), and Jeff Goodwin, tenor (from The Promise of Living) is singing Nessun Dorma. Eric Milkie is the personnel manager, so if you’d like to play, please contact him directly, or reply to me and I’ll put you in touch with Eric. I hope to see many of you!