We’re back to work this Monday. We’ll read through the entire Caramoor program. We then have only three rehearsals to rehearse these pieces before our dress rehearsal on July 3 and performance at Caramoor on July 4. Click here for this week’s rehearsal plan.

I computed the results from Round 2 of the Repertoire Bracket Challenge, and we’re down to the Sweet 16. You only need to make 8 choices now. Please vote!
Click here to see the updated bracket.
Click here to vote!

See you Monday!

Spring Concert

I have to start this post by thanking everyone for your spectacular performance on May 11. The band has never sounded better! I received the recording, and removing the sound shell not only gave us more room, it actually improved the depth and resonance of the band. Rob and Rich completely agree. Tim Stoddard is our hero, the soloists superb, the students from Masters were patient and on point, and the Barton’s arrangement was epic in every way. Congratulations, all!

Memorial Day

I hope everyone is enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. Although we have picnics and trips to the beach, do take a moment and remember the real reason for this holiday — to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we all may enjoy all the freedoms that we too readily take for granted. If you’re working tomorrow, especially if you are participating in parades, all the best to you and good luck to your students!

Tootsie received 11 Tony nominations!

Sue Winthrop, bass clarinet, is thrilled with the recent array of nomination for Tootsie, for which she is an executive producer and a backer. Congratulations to Sue and the show! There are discussions about a WSW field trip to see the production. Details coming soon.

T-shirts!

We now have official WSW T-shirts! Thank you, Chris Larsen! See Chris to purchase at the next rehearsal.

RiverArts

Next weekend, Rich Dashnaw will be among many local musicians participating in this year’s RiverArts Festival. Catch Rich with Andrew V. Craig at 6:00 pm on Saturday, June 1, at the Upstream Gallery, 8 Main Street, Hastings-on-Hudson. Check out the entire RiverArts program here.  

Caramoor rehearsals begin June 3

The final push for the 2019 season begins a week from Monday at 7:30 pm at Tarrytown Music Hall. We’ll read the entire program that night. 

See you on June 3!

I am sad to report that our wonderful tenor, John Anthony Lopez, has been stricken with bronchitis. He contacted me early this morning to say he cannot sing this evening.

With a lot of assistance, we were able to find another wonderful tenor to sing the Jean Valjean role, Timothy Stoddard. The soloists are coming a little early to go over the ensemble numbers with him, but I have to give fair warning that we will have to run Bring Him Home during the soundcheck, in addition to the finale. Please adjust your warm up accordingly.

See you in seats at 5:30 pm.

Saturday’s concert

Here are a few notes for tomorrow:

• We have access to the Hall at 4:30 pm. TMH crew is bringing up percussion, chairs, and stands, and pulling out the piano. As discussed, we are not using the shell this time, to be able to conserve space upstage and give the soloists more room at the apron.
• Please arrive and be seated by 5:30 pm, ready in concert dress. Note that this is earlier than usual; see below for my plan. I’m asking that you arrived dressed so we can try to take a photo with the ensemble, soloists, and chorus before we break at 7:00 pm, so there won’t be time to change during the sound check. This is our only opportunity to do this — thanks for planning in advance.
• Please know that we are not going to play continuously from 5:30-7:00 pm. Far from it! At 5:30 pm, we will play (or in some cases, sing) critical starts/endings to establish tempi and review bows. We are not going to hammer through any of the pieces as a run-through, with the possible exception of the Biedenbender. I would rather keep you “hungry” to play everything else and give Joe some latitude with this one number, since we did not touch it on Wednesday.
• At 6:30 pm, we’ll make sure the soloists and chorus are set and ready, and run from Part 2 m.134 to the end (as we did on Wednesday) to check the chorus’s memory and insure that they are ready. That will be the only section of the medley I will ask you to play through.
• Just before 7:00 pm, we are going to try to get a group photo of the entire assemblage. So as noted above, please arrived dressed so we can be efficient with our time, and still give you a full hour to rest and reset before the performance.
• Please prep envelopes with any tickets to be held at Will Call, with your name as the return address and your guest’s name clearly written mid-span. Give to Marge at sound check. Thanks, Marge, for handling the tickets!
• Bring cash — tomorrow’s audience should be bigger than usual, and so the 50/50 is apt to be huge! Thanks, Rachel, for handling the raffle!

Library for Caramoor

Please finish your swap out with Nancy after the concert, so all you have leaving the Hall is the Caramoor rep. I am bringing the Matt Podd medley with me tomorrow night, so make sure you pick that up.

After tomorrow, the next time I see you as a group is Monday, June 3 at 7:30 pm at TMH, for the Caramoor read-through. Make sure you look at the new parts before that rehearsal.

Other concerts of note

• Reminder: New Jersey Wind Symphony performs tonight at 8:00 pm at West Side Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, NJ. Amy Wilcox conducts the NVOT Wind Symphony as the prelude concert.
• Connecticut Symphonic Winds performs next Saturday, May 18 at 7:30 pm in Fairfield, CT. The program is packed with finales: Tchaik IV, Kalinnikov, Berlioz, Scriabin, and Barnes — a huge program! (So you can’t ever complain I program too much!)

Rest up and we’ll see you tomorrow at 5:30 pm. It’s going to be an amazing night!