Tomorrow evening at TMH we’re rehearsing the June program (which includes the Bernstein & complete Maslanka for May), plus reading Matt Podd’s three new vocal arrangements and (hopefully) having another shot at the Gould before July. Click here for the rehearsal plan for this week. The break will be very quick tomorrow night, otherwise I can’t fit all this in.

Caramoor has good news and bad news in regard to ticket discounts for July 4. The good news is that sales are brisk already, and there is heightened demand for tickets (and hopefully this is due to the good press from last year). The bad news is that these increased sales, plus the fact that it’s a Saturday night this year, prevents them from offering the same deep discount offered last year. So, this year the promotion code is worth a 20% discount (not 50% like 2014). I don’t want to post it here, viewable to all the world, so I’ll give it to you tomorrow night, and we’ll follow up on it with an direct email.

I promised the article that Eric Milkie found in the 1991 The Instrumentalist, with notes and the errata for Ives’s Variations on “America.” Here is that Ives article. Some of you may find it interesting.

I also attended Tom McCauley’s band concert at Montclair University Friday night. This recording, of Tom’s interpretation of the Maslanka Give Us This Day, “fell off the truck.” Enjoy, and I’ll see you tomorrow evening in Tarrytown.

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We’re starting to come down to the wire here. The next weeks are critical to our success in May, June, and July. This week we’re rehearsing Maslanka (mvmnt II only), Bernstein, Lauridsen, and both Ives pieces. See the complete rehearsal schedule, through July, here.

Please focus on the May concert and our ticket sales. Promote and invite at least 6 people who’ve never attended before. If we could all do this, TMH will be packed to the rafters!

Download May concert flyers here: Click here for the hi-res print version, click here for the low-res web version for emails, Facebook, blogs, and websites.

Also, the contact for the tuxedo offer is Cory Fontana, Fontana Couture, 51 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich CT 06830, 203-204-8600.

Lastly, here’s a little gift. When I visited Sydney last month, I learned about Vivid Sydney, an annual outdoor lighting festival with immersive light installations, including massive projections on the “sails” of the Sydney Opera House. Since returning, I looked this up and found several videos, including this YouTube of the 2014 performance. It is a transcendental experience. If you are looking for 15 minutes to relax and be transformed by music and light, I really recommend this. Try to remember it’s live — not an animation (you’ll be reminded by the occasional boat floating by in the harbor).

The visitation and memorial service for Janet Duncan was truly beautiful, and the room was full, standing-room only. About a dozen WSW members were in attendance, and it felt good to be a part of the circle of family and friends. I spoke with Janet’s children, Dorothy and James III, and suggested that we perform the Lauridsen O Magnum Mysterium in memory of Janet on May 16. They agreed that this was a fitting tribute. I hope that you’ll agree that this will be a beautiful way to remember Janet.

As promised, I have one more form to ask all the Chicago personnel to complete – and we need it completed by Monday evening. You’ll find it below. This data is very important, because it will pull together the information for purchasing the Chicago Symphony Orchestra tickets, confirm travel/hotel details, and (especially) collect important information for those requesting homestays. If you are traveling with us to Chicago, please complete this form before rehearsal on Monday night. Only one reply is needed from each WSW member traveling. We need to send this data to the Northshore hosts on Tuesday. (If you are not traveling with us, you do not need to complete the form.)

Check out the rehearsal plan for Monday, at TMH. See you then.

This has been a rough week. Janet was not only a loyal member of our ensemble since the year it was founded, she was a symbol of longevity in our group and in the American band movement. She will certainly be missed.

As noted in the obituary that Claudia sent out to everyone, the visitation for Janet is tomorrow, Saturday, from 3:00-5:00 pm at Waterbury and Kelly Funeral Home,1300 Pleasantville Road, in Briarcliff Manor. A memorial service will be held during the visitation at 3:30 pm. I am planning on attending, and I believe several of our Board members will be there as well. You are most welcome to join us.

I will write one more post tomorrow to discuss Monday’s rehearsal. It will include one more important form for the Chicago trip players, designed to collect the last information needed by our NCB hosts. We need to tie up this information by Monday night’s rehearsal.