One more Monday night

We’re continuing with the Marcus ensemble this Monday, November 8. See my home page to review personnel in each ensemble, listen to rehearsal recordings, and complete the health screening form.

NOTE: If you were not able to attend the Neiman rehearsal last week for any reason, please consider attending on Monday night! We won’t overcrowd the stage with a couple extra players!

The rehearsal on November 8 again follows a Random Farms theater performance, so unfortunately we cannot enter the Hall until 8:00 pm. Please meet in front of the Music Hall, next to the marquee and not blocking the doors, at 7:45 pm. As soon as we’re cleared to enter, we’ll move in, set up, and start the rehearsal. Please don’t gather at the rear stage door. And once it appears that all parents/children have left the theater, please don’t move past the interior lobby until the crew gives us clearance to move into the house and onto the stage. And again, because of the late start, please plan to rehearse an additional 15 minutes, until 10:00 pm, like we did last week.

Dress rehearsal & concert details

Ron MacKenzie has endorsed a full ensemble dress rehearsal on November 13 (scheduled for 9:00 am – 12:00 pm), and the Board has agreed, so we will be able to have one full rehearsal before the concert on November 14. Obviously, this will be a critically important dress rehearsal.

To review the important concert information details sent previously, please click here. This post includes the rehearsal schedule challenges that face us as we move into the winter cycle. If you have not already, please review these details. They are quite important.

ACB National Board – please support my candidacy

I was invited to run for the national board of the Association of Concert Band by the new president-elect, and so I’m currently on the ballot. I believe I can make a difference in an organization that is already doing great work for American community bands. If you hold an individual membership in ACB, I hope you’ll cast your ballot and vote for me. If you don’t hold membership, I urge you to consider it — and not just because I’m hoping to be elected. Membership includes the Naxos Classical Music Library Streaming Service at no charge (which is worth far more than the $40 annual membership fee, especially for teachers), and there are many other membership perks as well. You can join ACB by clicking here. Voting continues through December 5.

Rehearsal notes for Irish Tune

Lastly, I made a musical decision in the waning moments of rehearsal last week, which I now want to change. Those attending heard a choice I made regarding m.61. I would like to retract that decision now, and ask that everyone playing the melody take a breath between beats 1 & 2 of m.61 (between the slurs) to create a new and final four bar phrase. Everyone else with the counterline (Clarinet 1 & 3, Alto sax, all Horns, and Euphonium) please do not breathe between beats 1 & 2 of m.61, but instead play with strong air support at that point opposite the breath in the melody.

Please also note the da-da-da articulation indicated at m.49. We want a very light articulation as marked, but extremely connected. The end result should have a sound that is different than the phrases with simple slurs.