As announced, we’ll hold a sectional rehearsal for all brass and percussion on Monday night at TMH, 7:30-9:45 pm. Please complete this quick health screening form after 8:00 am on the day of rehearsal. Click here for the rehearsal plan. Please use the back door only (off the parking lot). The Hall will open at 7:00 pm for setup.
The Board is meeting on Tuesday to make decisions about rehearsals moving forward. If you have an opinion regarding health and safety at TMH, please speak to a Board member at rehearsal Monday (or contact them directly) to share your thoughts.
A couple “quick hits” news items:
- After a year’s hiatus of required dues because of the pandemic shutdown, the Board has acted to reinstitute dues for full-time members. Dues are $100 per season for full-time members (September to July), regardless of the number of concerts of which you might opt out. You can pay by check payable to WSW, Zelle, PayPal, and Square — and we even accept cash! Please hand payments to Marge Hone, our intrepid treasurer; speak to her about details for Zelle. We’re working on a Venmo account (it’s a little trickier to set up than Zelle.)
If you have a concern about dues because of a personal financial situation, please speak to Marge; we try to work with everyone to accommodate periodic payments and more. - Our organization depends on efficient communication with our members. Please remember that we operate two websites for the band, each with its own specific audience:
- www.westchestersymphonicwinds.org is our public-facing site. We periodically send emails to all audience subscribers to advertise our concerts. Eric Milkie is our webmaster. This site does not contain “inside info” for our members. (But a menu/link will soon be added for “Members Only” directing you to my site, below, just in case.)
- wsw.ebernet.biz is the site I maintain for members. If you’re looking for answers about rehearsal/concert schedules, repertoire, finding the season brochure or concert flyer or press release, or any other resources that are member-oriented, you can most likely find it here. The weekly post emails I send are also archived here. This is your first stop for member information, so please bookmark the site if you haven’t already.
- It goes without saying that reading the emails we send is critical. We’ve had a number of instances of confusion because emails simply weren’t read. Your participation pivots on keeping up with our announcements and new.
- What is a Gum-Sucker anyway? Here is an explanation, in Percy’s own words:
A “Gum-Sucker” is an Australian nickname for Australians born in Victoria, the home state of the composer. The eucalyptus trees that abound in Victoria are called “gums”, and the young shoots at the bottom of the trunk are called “suckers”; so “gum-sucker” came to mean a young native son of Victoria, just as Ohioans are nicknamed “Buck-eyes”. In the march, Grainger used his own Australian Up-Country Tune melody, written by him to typify Australia, which melody he also employed in his Colonial Song for two voices and orchestra, or military band. – Program Note by Percy Aldridge Grainger
- The Grainger House Museum and International Grainger Society are collaborating on this concert with us. There will be a lobby display of archival photos, programs, letters, and more, and we’re hoping that Barry Ould, the society president may be joining us that day.
The Grainger House Museum (6 Cromwell Place in White Plains; walking distance from all the restaurants on Mamaroneck Avenue) will have an Open House on Saturday, November 13 from 1:00-3:00 pm. We have our dress rehearsal that morning (9:00-12:00), so please consider making plans to have lunch and then join us to explore the house where Percy lived and worked for 40 years, from 1921 until his death in 1961. “Fascinating” does not even begin to describe this place. I’m planning on going, and I hope many of you will too!