Gala and Caramoor are approaching quickly!

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Spring Gala Concert

I have to admit that I came away from last week’s rehearsal thinking, “Wow. I have so much to work on, and there were intonation problems, and those balance issues . . . ” And then I realized, “Dude, they just sight-read that entire program!” When I think back to ten years ago, and then compare it to the work you are doing now, it’s simply amazing. Yes, we have work to do, but I am so very proud of where we’ve come as an ensemble, and I think our 30th Gala program will truly be amazing.

With the Gala concert on the immediate horizon, Caramoor is not that far away. And as we return for our fifth performance in their garden of music, their expectations are naturally quite high.

Caramoor

Matt Podd finished the West Side Story arrangement this week, and sent me the parts and score. After I’ve had a chance to review the score, check the parts, and work out any wrinkles with Matt, I’ll distribute the parts way ahead of the first rehearsal on April 9. The medley was chosen along with the Overture to Candide to celebrate the Bernstein centennial, and is 9 minutes long. It features Cool, Something’s Coming, America, Maria, One Hand One Heart, Tonight, and Somewhere. I have not yet met our soprano and tenor soloists; they are both alumni of Caramoor’s Rising Stars program. Here are two YouTube videos to give you a taste of their voices. Miles Mykkanen is our Tony, and Meredith Lustig is Maria. I’m very eager to meet and work with them!

I’ve scheduled the Caramoor reading rehearsal for April 9. The program includes these works, which are reprises from previous concerts at the Music Hall:

  • Smith/Sousa/Damrosch – Star Spangled Banner
  • Bernstein/Grundman – Overture to Candide
  • Markowski – Famishius Fantasticus (yes, I warned Caramoor about the confetti)
  • Fillmore/Fennell – Americans We
  • Sheldon – Metroplex
  • Tchaikovsky/Lake – 1812
  • Sousa/Brion & Schissel – Stars & Stripes

and these new works, including Barton Green’s latest and freshest arrangement:

  • Wilson/Green – Selections from The Music Man
  • Bernstein/Podd – Vocal Selections from West Side Story
  • Ward/Rothman – America the Beautiful (a new arrangement which I heard at the Air Force Band concert last November)

We’ll then dig into rehearsals for this program after the the May concert is over. We have five rehearsals planned for the Caramoor cycle, but I will not hesitate to cancel one if the April 9 rehearsal produces a positive outlook.

This Monday, we’ll rehearse Burns, Grainger (movements I-II-III), Bernstein, Stamp, and Kalinnikov (first half).

I hope everyone survived the storm with minimal complications. See you Monday!

PS – Reminder: We have a Board meeting Monday evening at 6:15 pm, in the VIP room.