“So on this meaningful morn, we mourn and we mend.
Like light, we can’t be broken, even when we bend.”
              excerpt from The Miracle of Morning, by Amanda Gorman

With the support of the Board, and with Ron MacKenzie’s endorsement, I feel it is time to confirm our return to rehearsals on Monday, January 31. Everyone playing the February concert should plan to attend rehearsals according to the schedule below. All players should be prepared to rehearse with playing masks until such time when we feel it is safe to make them optional. If you have not yet done so, all players must submit vaccine booster documentation to David Church.

I have made two cuts to the February 13 concert repertoire (Galante, Standridge), and these works will be deferred to a future program. This concert will be performed without intermission, and will be web streamed on our website again:

• Idio – The Cruise Line Dream
• Ticheli – Rest (Dr. Joey Bello, conductor)
• Collins – The Paper Man
• Piazzolla/Green – Oblivion (Matt Podd, accordion)
• de Abreu/Green – Tico Tico (Matt Podd, accordion)
• Weinberger – Polka and Fugue
• Namysłowski – Clarinet Polka (Matt Podd, accordion)

All final rehearsals and the performance will be held at Tarrytown Music Hall. Please make sure the following dates are reserved in your calendar. Final rosters for January 31 and February 7 will be confirmed no later than January 30.

• Monday, January 31, 7:30-9:45 pm – Full or half-ensemble TBA (to be confirmed no later than January 30)
• Monday, February 7, 7:30-9:45 pm – Full or half-ensemble TBA (to be confirmed no later than January 30)
• Wednesday, February 9, 7:30-9:45 pm – Full rehearsal for all personnel and guest artists
• Saturday, February 12, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm – Dress rehearsal for all personnel and guest artists
• Sunday, February 13, 12:00 pm – hall opens for setup; 1:00 pm – sound check; 3:00 pm – performance. 

In addition, I have reserved TMH on Saturday, February 5, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Any section leaders who would like to hold a 60- or 90-minute sectional should reserve time with me.

I truly believe that this ensemble is up to the challenge of these unusual circumstances. I believe, and the Board agrees, that — pandemic aside — it is a better musical choice to continue ahead with this program as scheduled than to cancel or postpone it for musical reasons. It will not be perfect, but no concert ever is. However, if health and safety factors do not continue in the positive direction that we see now, we will not hesitate to make changes to safeguard both our member players and our audience. 

PLEASE PRACTICE! We’ve been dormant since December 13. It’s important to return to rehearsals feeling musically fit, and that can only happen by putting mouthpieces to lips. I will add reference recordings to my home page; feel free to listen to promote earworms prior to rehearsal.

If you committed to play on February 13 and have had a change in your personal situation, contact David Church immediately. Having a grip on our personnel roster is critical at this time.

Lastly, yes — the NFL added a 17th week. And although we originally planned this concert for the week after the Super Bowl, Roger Goodell did not return my calls. So we are performing at 3:00 pm on February 13, and the big game begins at 6:30 pm. I promise to keep the tempi moving along to get everyone out on time!

I will write again no later than January 30 to confirm our personnel plans (full or half-ensemble) for January 31.