Rehearsals

We do not have rehearsal tomorrow night, and will reconvene next Monday, February 25. The plan for our next rehearsal on February 25 has changed just a bit. In order to expedite the schedule for Joe Higgins, he suggested coming up to work on Unquiet Hours with us next Monday, so he’ll be joining us to have his first rehearsal on the Biedenbender at that time. So the evening will start with the Les Miz reading, continue with Joe and the Biedenbender, and close with the review of as many “reprise” pieces as possible for ACB/Spring. I posted a draft of the rehearsal plan.

West Point Band Concert – February 23 at 2 pm

The West Point Band has an amazing program scheduled for next Saturday, February 23 at 2:00 pm in Eisenhower Hall. It includes Adams, Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Stravinsky, Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments. This is sure to be a great concert if you are able to attend. Tickets are free, but required to attend. Click the link above for more information.

Wonderful tribute to Rob LaPorta!

Rob is one of our group’s founders, and continues his involvement with WSW as our principal recording engineer. Check out this terrific article published on January 26 in The Newtown Bee about him and his dedication to the recording industry. We are so fortunate to have Rob involved with us, and tending to the careful recording and archiving of our live performances.

Enjoy the time off Monday, or if you’re traveling, have a wonderful and safe trip!

We’re starting up again tomorrow night at 7:30 pm at TMH. The snow which is forecast is not supposed to arrive until after midnight Monday into Tuesday, so we don’t expect any issues. We’re rehearsing the new works that are on both our ACB and Spring programs tomorrow night, expect Les Miz. We will read that at our next rehearsal on February 25.

I have been extremely lucky this week to work with the National Young Adult Wind Ensemble, which will perform tonight at Carnegie Hall. So if I look a little “wind blown” tomorrow evening, that’s the reason. I’ll share photos later. For now, I’m looking forward to getting back to work with you again tomorrow night!

Schedule/new music

Remember that there is no rehearsal tomorrow. (I canceled it by announcement at rehearsal on January 21.) Enjoy the evening off!

We’re prepping the music for the ACB Convention and Spring Concert and will distribute that at rehearsal on Monday, February 11. We will hold off on distributing Caramoor music until later in the spring.

Opportunity/Invitation from The Grainger House

I received this invitation from Susan Colson, a member of the Board at the International Grainger Society. Susan and International Society President Barry Ould attended our 30th Gala Concert to hear Lincolnshire Posy, and they were on hand at the Grainger House when Jack Stamp and I went there in May 2018. I can’t accept the invitation to help because of Masters Recitals on May 5 and plans to visit my mother in Pennsylvania on May 12 (Mothers Day, for reference). If you’re available, interested, and intrigued, I am sure it will be enjoyable. There’s so much living history in that house, and the Board there is really doing great things to re-enliven the program there. If you’re interested, contact me and I’ll put you in touch with Susan.

Dear Curt,

Writing to let you know about two upcoming events that Percy Grainger America is planning in May—and to ask you to be part of the hosting committee. If not you, someone you In Westchester Winds?

On Sunday, May 5, professor and pianist Rick Masters is presenting a concert.  Rick visited 7 Cromwell Place many years ago and the then-archivist allowed him to play Percy’s Steinway.  He never forgot the experience and contacted us last year and asked if he could come and play some of Percy’s concert gems in a public concert.  Planning is underway, and Rick will play Percy’s Steinway on Sunday, May 5 at 4 pm at 7 Cromwell Place.  A reception will follow.

Penelope Thwaites, concert pianist and editor of The Percy Grainger Companion, will play and present an “Illuminated Talk” (a format that Grainger himself pioneered) about Percy Grainger and his mother, Rose.  This Mother’s Day event is planned for 4 pm on Sunday, May 12.  Again, a reception will follow.  As part of our Grainger House restoration, we are planning to be well along with our plan to have Percy’s and Rose’s rooms restored to their 1920’s setting.   

Each of these events will have a $20 attendance fee. We are exploring adding sponsorships (something we are new at!) to help us with the house restoration costs. We would love your help to make these events a success. If you would like to be a part of this event, as well as future events, we would be most grateful if you would accept this invitation to be part of our host committee, and

• Join us for the event

• Share (and let us) your name as a member of our host committee and help promote the events. 

• Invite your colleagues, friends, and neighbors to attend.

Your involvement will help us spread the word and really make an impact.

Sincerely,
Susan Colson
International Percy Grainger Society and Percy Grainger America

So there was more news today — The American Prize announced its list of semi-finalists in the Band/Wind Ensemble Conductor category. I’m honored and humbled to be on the list in the community band/wind ensemble category. But the important thing is this: without you, I’m just the guy waving his arms with his back to the audience. So thank you — each of you — for making this possible.

If you read through the list of university conductors, you’ll also see Joe Higgins, who is our guest conductor in May.

So we’re 2 for 3 so far. The final category is the Ernst Bacon Memorial Prize, I submitted our recording of Michael Daugherty’s Brooklyn Bridge for that nomination. So we’ll see what develops with that.

What a week! Thank you all again!