Sectionals Monday and updates

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This week:

  • Sectionals on Monday at IPC
  • Review our schedule
  • RevFest 2025 later this month
  • Our future at TMH
  • Fundraising Committee news

Sectionals this Monday at Irvington Presbyterian Church

Set your GPS for 25 North Broadway, Irvington, NY. This is the same location where we’ve had sectionals in the past. Brass will rehearse in the Parlor in the main building, woodwinds will meet in the annex building (with new upgraded lighting!). The rehearsal plan is posted on my home page. Please help me thank Alex Gray, who is assisting with the sectionals on Monday!

Speaking of the home page, please bookmark that page if you have not already. My rehearsal plans are always posted there. And you can find links and answers to many questions (What’s the rep this year? Where is rehearsal this week? When is the next performance) right on the site.

Review our rehearsal schedule

We have quite a few rehearsals this fall at alternate sites. Be sure to review this schedule (I suggest bookmarking it along with the home page), and I will remind everyone week to week.

IMPORTANT: Katherine has updated the Absence Form for 2025-2026. Please use this form for this season. Trying to open the old form will result in an error message.

RevFest 2025

The week after the sectionals:

  • No rehearsal on Monday, September 22. Shanah tovah to everyone celebrating the holiday!
  • Our one-and-only review rehearsal is Wednesday, September 24 at St. Barnabas Church in Irvington (literally right next door to the Irvington Presbyterian Church).
  • The performance is Sunday, September 28 at Croton Point Park, rain or shine. Call at 12:30 pm, performance at 1:30-2:15 pm. White tops/black bottoms/no jackets or ties, just like Caramoor. We are reprising the 2025 Caramoor rep, without the soprano solos. Click here for the Google Drive music folder to download parts.
  • Click here for the RevFest 2025 website. This is sponsored by Westchester County Tourism, and the ensemble is being compensated for our performance.

Our future at TMH

In May, we were asked to move all of our equipment out to make more room for the TMH Academy performances. We managed to negotiate delaying the move-out deadline to December 31. The board has been working diligently to find another full-time rehearsal site, but it has been difficult. Our dress/performance dates at TMH are secure for this season, but after January 1, we have to crazy-quilt a rehearsal schedule based on the availability of our established off-site rehearsal spaces. Insurance requirements makes this an arduous task. We are trying to stay mindful of driving distances for north- and south-based players, but pleasing everyone all the time will be a challenge.

In addition, we are going to have to store all of our percussion equipment and music stands after January 1. We are looking for help from you, our members:

  • We will be looking for volunteers who can help store one or two large percussion instruments in secure locations (basements, heated garages). In some cases, specific instruments which are not affected by cold might be be able to be stored in outside garages.
  • It is likely that we may ask everyone to take a WSW music stand home, and bring it back to WSW for the next dress/performance.
  • It’s possible that the black Wenger chairs can stay (for now) at TMH.

With this plan, we will rent large percussion for the February and May concerts, not move everything back and forth. In addition, we always rent for Caramoor.

If you have space for percussion equipment as described, please contact Chris Larsen (via Slack or in person at rehearsal) so we can start making a list.

Fundraising Committee

Anticipating additional expenses for rehearsal space rentals, percussion rentals, and more, we have established a Fundraising Committee. Chaired by Russ Ebersole, the committee currently includes Marge Hone, Rebecca Weissman, David Marchiony, Deb Dashnaw, Amanda Desperito, and Ron Cole (Caroline Cole’s father). We are grateful to these volunteers and invite any other members who are not currently serving on our board to join the committee by contacting Russ (via Slack, or in person at rehearsal).

Russ made an amazing presentation to the board this past week. We look forward to the committee’s endorsement of this plan and launching the campaign at the Fall Concert.