Happy August, everyone! I hope you’re all enjoying time with family and friends. I am writing this on the beach in Cherry Grove, Fire Island, and really enjoying the beach weather this summer, as we dodge rain storm after rain storm. I’ve spent a good deal of time this summer with my mother in Lititz, PA, Tim has a new job as the manager of Renny & Reed in the city, and I had 60 roller coaster rides in 6 days during my zany cross-country trip in July. (You can see photos on my Instagram page if you’re interested.)

I’ve got some great news to share!

31st Season Repertoire

I’ve prepared the concert repertoire for the new season. You can inspect the entire list here. I recognize that last season was full of “special events” to celebrate our anniversary, so I was careful not to over-program or select another work like Music for Prague 1968, but I have included plenty of music that will challenge you as a players and as an ensemble, and allow us to have a good time, too. 

Special for this season:

• Joe Bergamini and Amy Wilcox will take the podium as apprentice conductors this year.
• Gina Serafin is our featured soloist in November.
• We have four West Point Band soloists joining us in January.
• Our guest conductors include: Dr. Bob Ambrose (Georgia State University), 2d Lt. David Neil Regner (US Air Force Band), and Dr. Joe Higgins, (Rowan University). All of them are fabulous musicians with whom I’ve had great experiences, and I know you’ll enjoy working with them.
• Major works include the Divertimento by Roger Cichy, Extraction on No. 9 by Michael Schelle, La Fiesta Mexicana by H. Owen Reed, Lauds by Ron Nelson, and Liturgical Dances by David Holsinger.
• We put Barton Green to work again. Pending the acquisition of copyright, he will soon begin work on a new medley from Les Misérables, for band and vocal soloists, which we expect to premiere in May.

WSW accepted for 2019 ACB!

I’m very pleased to announce that we have been accepted as a featured ensemble for the 2019 Association of Concert Bands National Convention! And, we landed a first-class performance slot – Saturday afternoon, April 27 at 4:00 pm – the final day of the convention!

Our letter of acceptance from Tom Siebenhuhner, Audition Chair, included this statement:

Acceptance to this national conference was a very competitive process and we scrutinized each application carefully. It was the opinion of my committee that your submission represented both technical mastery and artistic merit. We have accepted your ensemble because we think that your performance at the Big Apple Convention will be a make an important contribution to the conference and will support both the ACB’s Mission Statement and musical goals and objectives.

Click here to see the full list of accepted bands.

Please expect a dress rehearsal during the week leading up to the convention on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 pm. Please check your calendars for both the dress rehearsal and concert date, and we will ask everyone to indicate their commitment for this performance when we see you at our first rehearsal on September 10.

We have 50 minutes total stage time, just as we did in 2012 in Poughkeepsie. I have to allow 3-4 minutes for the ACB representative to introduce us and 2-3 minutes for the plaque presentation before our finale. That leaves us about 40 minutes for music, comments, and transitions. I’ve assembled a tentative program that pulls the best of our season’s repertoire into this performance (or did I do it the other way around?), and will publish that rep list as soon as possible. The earlier I submit our selections, the better our chances of avoiding any duplication of selections.

Congratulations on what this invitation indicates — your dedication, consistency, and musicianship. I continue to be so proud to be associated with you all!

Enjoy the rest of the summer! See you in September!