Rehearsal last Monday was very productive. Please practice those licks in 1812, because we’ll hit them again, in addition to the other works on the rehearsal schedule that is posted.

David and I would like to confirm everyone’s intentions for the 2017-2018 season before we leave for the summer after the Caramoor concert. So, please follow this link, or see the form below, to reconfirm your continuation as a full-time member and confirm each dress rehearsal and concert for next season. (Note that we have already been invited back to Caramoor 2018! The concert next year will be back on the actual Fourth of July next year.) We’d like to get everyone’s online response by Friday, June 23. Please have your calendars (especially school/concert calendars for music educators) in front of you when you complete the form, and mark these dates into your calendars as you work through them.

Compiling this information will give us a chance to catch up with any stragglers before we say good-bye for the summer on July 1. Also, please note that we continue to do this via an online form (rather than a paper handout) because this allows you to verify the information yourself, and eliminates wrangling with individual handwriting styles.

The form is available via the link above, and is repeated below. See you Monday!

Yes, I’m back on Monday. I’ve posted the rehearsal plan. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m very plan-driven. So please do check this every week so you’re familiar with what I set out to accomplish. I know must of you do check it (I look at the page statistics), but the group would benefit so much more if everyone took a look.

Congratulations and thanks to Stan, Ben, Mayr, Ian, Marc, Rich, Bob, Kirk, Scott, and Nate, for their focus, stamina, and musicianship at the Master School commencement exercises on Saturday. There were many compliments for the music!

We’ll be putting out the concert/dress rehearsal schedule this week via a Google Form and asking everyone to reply regarding next season.We want to get everyone’s reply before we break after Caramoor on July 1. I have all the guest artists and most of the major repertoire confirmed, and it’s going to be a magnificent 30th anniversary season.

And we’ve taken steps to insure that TMH is open and ready for us on time this coming Monday. The Board meets upstairs at 6:15 pm, rehearsal begins promptly at 7:30 pm. (Hopefully we now have all the bugs worked out with our new Monday night manager.) See you then.

In this post:

• Kudos for the Spring Concert
• All Bolcom parts must be collected on June 5 (rental must be returned)
• Details for rehearsal on June 5

Excellent work on May 20!

This really has been a terrific season, and I am so very proud of everyone in the group. Each of the three subscription concerts had its own high points, and the Spring Concert was no exception. Your work on the entire program, and the Bolcom in particular, was courageous and truly musical. Chris Creviston was very, very impressed, and was extremely grateful for the opportunity to play the Bolcom again. Pat Burns was very pleased with your performance of his piece, and was grateful as well. And both Bob Sherman and Lois Hicks-Wozniak had high praise for your work as well. The feedback is exceptionally good! Now we only have the crowning jewel of our season remaining — our Independence Day performance at Caramoor.

All Bolcom parts must be collected on June 5 — no exceptions!

We absolutely must collect and return all the rental parts for the Bolcom this coming Monday night. Having had the extra Monday off for Memorial Day, we’re quickly approaching the deadline to return the parts. If you have already given notice that you’ll be absent, or are not playing Caramoor, or if you have a last minute emergency, we still need your Bolcom music on Monday, without fail. Please take steps now to insure that your part gets to rehearsal and will be returned to Nancy on Monday night. Anything less than 100% return will generate a penalty, and obviously we must avoid that.

Rehearsal on June 5

Last week NVOT moved their annual Awards Concert from June 6 to June 5. Since retiring, I always try to attend this concert, because they present an award in my name. I considered taking a pass on it this year because of the conflict with our rehearsal, but it is the very last concert for my colleague, Leslie Mac Pherson, as she retires on June 30. (Leslie conducted the Demarest HS Choir that participated with us on Carmina Burana.) I just have to be there. So I’ve called upon three of our apprentice conductors, our personnel manager, and our in-house arranger to take over for this one rehearsal. The plan is posted on the home page. Please give them your full, focused attention, and help them stay on schedule.

Please be sure to bring those Bolcom parts, or send them if you are not attending Monday night for any reason. Good luck to the conductors for Monday night — have a great time with them!

Good morning, everyone! We have a lot of moving parts in our concert next Saturday. In general:

• Monday’s rehearsal will be our final working rehearsal for the Burns and Doppler, and dress rehearsals for Boerma, Hazo, Balmages, Yagisawa, and Sousa. We will not use piano on Monday for Yagisawa, but we will have harp, placed stage right next to the end of the horns.
• Wednesday’s rehearsal will be the dress rehearsal for the Burns, working/dress rehearsal with the soloist for the Bolcom, and working/dress rehearsal with the soloist for the  Doppler. As usual with our final rehearsal, please be prepared to stay until 10:00 pm if necessary. I’ll do my best to finish as close as possible to 9:45 pm. But with two soprano saxes battling for the top beauty prize, anything is possible.