First rehearsal on Monday!

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In this post:

  • Rehearsal plan for Monday
  • October rehearsal conflicts & NYSBDA symposium
  • 2015-2016 recording compilation – new options
  • Mussorgsky playlist
  • My Austin trip

Planning for Monday

I’m looking forward to seeing everyone and getting back in the swing of things on Monday. The rehearsal plan is posted. We’ll be reading through everything, except the Clarke; I just don’t think it’s necessary at this point when we just performed it at Caramoor in July.

I sent a separate email out to everyone with David Church’s new email address. Please let me know if you didn’t receive it.

For discussion Monday

Beyond reading through the entire program, we need to discuss the situation with October’s rehearsal conflicts, and come to a group decision about October 3 & 31, as well as the proposed performance at the NYSBDA Symposium on March 4 in Syracuse.

Not just CD’s anymore

This year our recording engineer, Richard Price at Candlewood Digital, has offered two additional options for our 2015-2016 recording compilation. In addition to traditional CD’s, he is now also offering the same content on thumbdrives and SD cards, for those of you who don’t have CD players anymore and access recordings via computer. These media will contain all the CD-quality WAV files, plus MP3 files (ready for transfer to phones and media players) and all the CD graphics (including program and personnel). And the cost is the same as the past for all options: $30 for the CD, thumbdrive, or SD card. Click here to read more details and place your order for the 2015-2016 compilation. 

Last year, more players raised hands than actually purchased the CD’s, so we will base the order on this list. IMPORTANT: If you signed up on Marge’s clipboard last spring, you must place your order again via this form, because of the added media options.

Pictures at an Exhibition playlist

Don’t forget the Study Playlist with the piano, orchestral, and wind ensemble versions of the Mussorgsky. I hope everyone will listen to these recordings over the next several weeks. It’s a great resource. (You can also find that page from wsw.ebernet.biz > Selected Recordings.)

Austin, Aubrey, and Mickey

I also want to share a moving story about my trip to Austin in August. As you know, my dear friend, Tim Tull, was killed in a tragic accident last September. Tim had been the archivist for his father’s manuscripts, scores, parts, photos, programs, recordings and correspondence (see fishertull.com, which Tim created). After Tim’s death, the archive of Fisher Tull (known to family and friends as Mickey) was transferred to Tim’s sister, Jennifer Tull, in Austin.

Jack, Jennifer, Aubrey, and me

Austin, August 20, 2016: Jack, Jennifer, Aubrey, and me

Jennifer invited me to Austin in mid-August to help her sort through and organize all this material. She also invited one of her father’s private students, Jack Stamp, the same weekend. I was so very glad to finally meet Jack after all these years, and he was an invaluable help in determining what would stay and what should be discarded, and he shared many great stories as well. (For instance, I never knew that March for Tripod was written in honor of a three-legged dog!)

I had already programmed three of Jack’s compositions for the coming season: Aubrey Fanfare (Fall opener, named for Mickey’s middle name and granddaughter), Four Maryland Songs (Winter concert, with Daniella Prepis), and The Star Spangled Banner (Fall encore, in honor of the 15th anniversary of 9-11). So, the photo of Jack, Jennifer, Aubrey, and me is especially meaningful. In addition, Jack expressed interest in coming to Tarrytown as a guest conductor, and so he is now booked for May 2018, at our 30th Gala Concert. Truly exciting in every way!

Enjoy the weekend — see you Monday!