Category Archives: News

Current news andupdates

Return to rehearsals tomorrow at WPHS

Posted on by
Reply

Rehearsals for Caramoor begin June 2

  • Check the home page for the download folder and rehearsal plan for June 2. This rehearsal will be held at White Plains HS. Be sure to download/print your parts and have them ready for the first rehearsal.
  • Challenges – Be sure to look over these tunes before Monday night:
    • Barton’s arrangement of timeless Kander & Ebb selections is tricky!
    • The Cowboys represents technical and articulation challenges.
    • 1812 – need I say more?
  • Library: I am not thrilled with the current version of The Free Lance (which I obtained free of charge from the Marine Band library). I’m looking for the Revelli edition of this march. It is temporarily out of stock on JWPepper. If you have access to the parts, please contact me!
  • We’ve lost the June 9 & 16 rehearsals at TMH. We will rehearse at New Rochelle on those dates. June 23 is also looking “iffy” at TMH. Will update that situation asap.

2025-2026 season

I have all our guest artists lined up for next season, and it’s an exciting array of talent. I also have the core focus works chosen for each program. I will share these at rehearsal.

I’ve had some obstacles creating the commitment form for 2025-26, but the form will be sent out soon. We will be looking for everyone to complete this form by June 30 (prior to our Caramoor performance).

Next rehearsal June 2

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Memorial Day weekend, and thank you to all of our members and associates who have served our country. We are grateful!

Rehearsals for Caramoor begin June 2

  • Check the home page for the download folder and rehearsal plan for June 2. That rehearsal will be held at White Plains HS. Be sure to download/print your parts and have them ready for the first rehearsal.
  • The commitment form for 2025-26 will be sent out soon. We will be looking for everyone to complete this form by June 30 (prior to our Caramoor performance).

A note from Steve Cohen

Thank you so much for your truly fantastic playing on the Navarro 2nd Concerto.  Now that it’s over and I can relax (phew!) I can appreciate more and more your efforts with the piece.  It’s a fun piece I think, and it was wonderful to play it with all of you.  Can’t really thank you enough for all your work putting it together.  Extremely memorable for me and I won’t forget it.  You all sounded really terrific!
Steve

WSW on YouTube

If you haven’t checked it out yet, be sure to visit our WSW YouTube page to watch the videos from the May concert!

Caramoor downloads & concert video

Posted on by
Reply

Caramoor parts

All the parts for Caramoor are now ready for download. Click this link to access your parts. Visit the home page for a reminder of the schedule for the upcoming weeks leading to July 4.

Spring Concert video

The Spring Concert video is ready! We are so pleased with the production quality of this recording. Many thanks to Andrew Merelis (video producer), Peter Weitzner (audio recording engineer), Eric Milkie (WSW webmaster and YouTube coordinator), Rebecca Weissman (graphics), and Ed Herko and family for the kind donation that made this video production possible. The combined effort has yielded a recording of which we can all be proud.

This link is a playlist of all the selections on the program, with the introductions edited as separate YouTube links. Special thanks to Eric Milkie for the extra time to create this. Please share the link to the playlist, or the individual selection links with friends, colleagues, and family. Enjoy!

Post-concert kudos

Posted on by
Reply
A chest cold flattened me immediately after the concert and I’m just now coming up for air. I apologize for not getting this note of sincere thanks out to you sooner.
I recognize that I ask you to perform programs that are beyond the ability of most other groups. I recognize that no rehearsal or performance is perfect. I recognize that the standards I try to maintain test your mettle, even on your best days. And yet, time and time again, even in the face of adversity (or perhaps because of it), you extend your effort, you reach forward toward the ideal. I think this was especially evident on Saturday evening.
Thank you for the contributions toward the gift of music written in my honor, and for us as an ensemble. Thank you for hanging tough and trusting me to examine the dots and then step back to see the entire painting. Thank you for welcoming our guest artists, including those from within the group. Thank you to the Board and to all the contributors in the ensemble for your time, talent, and treasure which you have so freely given, which has allowed us to promote this ensemble and succeed on multiple levels. In other words, thank you to each of you for the myriad of complex musical, financial, and uniquely personal contributions you’ve made, often in quiet and inconspicuous ways, to maintain our mutual success.
Video recordings (via our YouTube channel) and audio recordings (via our BandCamp page) will be posted soon. Please bookmark these links if you have not yet already, and check back to watch and listen to our archived recordings.
Our Caramoor rehearsal cycle is posted on the home page. Our next rehearsal is Monday, June 2 at White Plains High School, and rehearsals continue on June 9, 16, 23, and 30 at TMH. Mimi Hilaire will join us on June 30 for our dress rehearsal before the Caramoor performance on July 4. Therefore, I am cancelling the tentative rehearsal planned for Wednesday, July 2. Parts will be available via download links on the home page by Monday, May 19. I have all the parts, I just need to format and add the score order codes.
Once again, thank you. Enjoy our three week break, and I’ll see you on June 2.
With immense gratitude,
Curt