No rest for the weary – this upcoming week is another performance week with rehearsal on Monday, dress rehearsal on Wednesday (both at TMH), and performance at Caramoor the following Sunday, July 2.

Personnel

Thank you to the 30+ members who have already completed the 2023-2024 Commitment Form. We’re asking everyone to reply by Wednesday, June 28 (the day of the dress rehearsal), so we can account for everyone and plan for the 36th season.

Caramoor details

The rehearsal plans for Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday are posted. Please note that Monday’s rehearsal is all about spot checks and no run-throughs, and Wednesday’s rehearsal is all about rehearsing with the soloists and running everything else.

Ticket sales for July 2 appear to have picked up, but we encourage you to spread the word with friends and family. Top tier tickets are less expensive than last year ($87), but the least expensive tickets (using our discount code) are only $23.20. And lawn seats (amplified sound only/ no view/bring your own seating) are only $20.00.

Debbie and Rich Dashnaw’s house

38 Valley Pond Road

Katonah, NY 10536

1. Please bring an alcoholic beverage of your choice AND an appetizer or dessert.
2. Main food and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided!
3. We have a pool if you want to swim or chill.
4. Park in driveway, along right side of driveway as you pull in, or on the side of the road on our side of the street out front.

RSVP by Tuesday June 27 to groovin1@optonline.net and let us know how many people are coming in your party.

Here’s to great day of making music!

Debbie and Rich

Sneakers left at Carnegie

We were informed that a pair of sneakers were left behind on June 13. If you are missing sneakers, contact the Carnegie Hall Security Desk for Lost & Found.

Curt’s Top Ten List: Why Taking Your Band to Carnegie Hall for the First Time is Like Your First Kiss

In case you missed it, here it is:

1. You’ve thought about it for a long time and thought it would never happen.
2. You’ve spent a lot of time practicing for it (mostly by yourself).
3. When it finally happens, it’s truly magical, but you can’t believe it was actually happening.
4. It happened with someone you really care about. Well, more than one.
5. You wonder if anyone took a picture. And if they posted it.
6. When it was over, you immediately thought, “Will this ever happen again?”
7. You recognize that you are so glad you didn’t have to pay for it.
8. Because it was your first time, you needed someone to show you around.
9. As it was happening, you had an immeasurable sense of joy.
   And the #1 reason why taking your band to Carnegie Hall is like your first kiss:
10. Once it started, you never wanted it to stop.

NOTE: If this is reaching you Inbox a second time, it’s a word-for-word duplicate. Apologies!

This week:

• Reflections on Carnegie Hall
• Looking ahead to Caramoor
• Important info for next season – Your response requested by June 28!

Carnegie Hall

Words fail me. I simply do not know how to express the joy, the exuberance, the pride, the camaraderie, the musical artistry, the resonance, and so much more that we experienced together on Tuesday night. It was a performance without peer, and I believe that because you brought your full, authentic selves to this performance and made the end result greater than the sum of its parts. Thank you for all the individual sacrifices made in order to make this dream a reality.

Please visit this Google Drive folder, either to upload your own photos taken Tuesday evening, or to view/download photos taken by others. There’s already over 100 photos there, and I’m sure the folder will continue to burgeon into next week.

Those players who played Carnegie Hall, but are not playing Caramoor, are welcome, but not required, to attend the debriefing discussion on Monday evening (see below), before we start to rehearse.

Caramoor

We move right away into our remaining two rehearsals for Caramoor. On Monday evening, after setting up the stage, we’ll gather in the front 3-4 rows of the orchestra seating area of the Hall for about 15-20 minutes to debrief and unpack the experience on Tuesday. Carnegie players who are not playing Caramoor are welcome to join the discussion and then leave before we start rehearsing.

Admittedly, we’ve done the heavy lifting already to prepare for Caramoor. The big tasks remaining before us are to learn the Livingston – Celebrating the Fourth (parts will be distributed on Monday). and iron out wrinkles in the Lerner & Loewe medley. The rehearsal plan is posted for Monday, and I included details for all the weeks through the Caramoor performance on July 2.

Attire for Caramoor will once again be white tops/black bottoms and shoes.

The 2023-2024 Season – RESPONSE REQUESTED

I have already planned many of the repertoire details for our 36th season, starting in September. In order to finalize my plans, I need to collect commitments from everyone. Look for the link to the 2023-2024 Commitment Form at the end of this post.

IMPORTANT: Based on the evolving situation in regard to public health through the spring, with the polling of other community wind ensembles, and with the counsel of Dr. Ron MacKenzie, the WSW Board voted to eliminate the COVID vaccination and booster requirement, effective in September 2023 for the 2023-2024 season. However, the board reserves the right to re-institute the vaccination and booster requirement if there is a new outbreak, a resurgence, or a volatile new strain of COVID or another virus with pandemic implications.

Our confirmed performance dates for 2023-2024 are:

• Sunday, November 5, 2023 at 3:00 pm at TMH
• Sunday, February 11, 2024 at 2:00 pm (Super Bowl Sunday again) at TMH
• Saturday, May 11, 2024 at 8:00 pm at TMH
• Thursday, July 4, 2024 at 8:00 pm at Caramoor (once again in the evening, with fireworks reinstated!)

Please click to view this document for the rehearsal and dress rehearsal dates I have requested at TMH. These still have to be confirmed, so there is the possibility of some relocations to White Plains High School. I asked more more rehearsals than we need at this point, knowing that some dates may not be available at TMH. Also, note that I’ve researched public schools’ spring breaks again for 2024; like last year, they seem to be evenly divided across 2 different weeks. We’ll have to cross that bridge when we come to it.

Please click here to confirm your contact information and submit commitments for our 2023-2024 season. We ask that everyone complete this form by Wednesday, June 28 so we have answers from everyone before we break for the summer after Caramoor.

Rehearsal Monday at White Plains High School

The plan for Monday’s dress rehearsal is posted. We rehearse moments of concern in each work, then run the program. Our pianist and harpist will be on hand on Monday.

Van update

Schedule for Tuesday

Everyone performing on Tuesday should plan to arrive at Carnegie Hall by 5:30 pm. Please allow time for parking and traffic. Use the stage door, located on 56th Street, near the Seventh Avenue end of the block. Plan to arrive dressed in concert attire. We will not have dressing rooms for personnel to change on site. When you check in at the stage door, you’ll be directed to our warm up room. Our sound check begins at 6:30 pm, and the performance begins at 8:00 pm.

Please plan to greet family and friends after the concert at the stage door, or along Seventh Avenue. I attended another World Projects concert this past Tuesday, and the Carnegie staff was very determined to clear everyone out of the hall and lobby as quickly as possible when the performance ended. So plan to sign autographs for your adoring admirers outside.

Folder collection at the end of the performance on Tuesday

If you are playing Carnegie Hall but not playing Caramoor, please be sure to hand in your folder to Nancy following the performance.

In addition, we are looking for someone who is driving in to the city on Tuesday who would be willing to help transport these 15 collected folders after the concert. (It will be difficult for Nancy to do this, as she is taking the train on Tuesday.) Please speak to me on Monday night if you can help.

Photos from Tuesday

We will have a formal group photo taken during the sound check on Tuesday. We’ll make sure that photo is made available to everyone.

We’ve set up a Google Drive folder for uploading and sharing personal photos from the Carnegie Hall performance. Please use this link. You can upload photos to this folder than you are willing to share with everyone, and download photos you’d like to save at will. Once I get the group photo, I’ll add it to this folder as well.

Caramoor

Our final performance of the season is still ahead! We have rehearsals back at TMH on Monday, June 19, Monday, June 26, and Wednesday June 28, before the sound check and performance on Sunday, July 2. Parts for  Celebrating the Fourth have been obtained, scanned, and posted to this folder. Use that link to preview parts; we will hand out hard copies on June 19.

Prep for this coming Monday evening

Click here for the details about every rehearsal and performance between now and July 2. Please review that page very carefully, because the personnel pool changes from week to week, and in some cases, halfway through the evening. Please read and bookmark that page (it’s the home page of this blog) and refer to it as needed in the coming weeks.

We’re starting with the combined personnel pool for Carnegie Hall and Caramoor this coming Monday. Enjoy the weekend. I look forward to our work together on Monday night!

WCS performance on Sunday

Several WSW members are performing with the Westchester Chamber Soloists this coming Sunday. Here are the details if you can attend:

Westchester Chamber Soloists presents their Spring Concert at Sarah Lawrence College this Sunday, June 4 at 3:00 pm, featuring guest conductor, composer, and international ‘cellist Ovidiu Marinescu, in a program that also features three other distinguished WCS members as soloists. Buy tickets here.

Program: