Hello, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful summer and that you’re looking forward to the new season and new repertoire! I’ll try to keep this message as succinct as possible.

• Our first rehearsal is set for Monday, September 8 at 7:30 pm at TMH
• Find your parts for the Fall & RevFest concerts
• Consider joining our newly founded Fundraising committee
• Review the rehearsal schedule
• Repertoire for 2025-2026

Download your parts

During this first cycle, we will start with music for the Fall concert, then shift briefly to the RevFest concert (a reprise of the Camarmoor 2025 rep, to be held at Croton Point Park), and then return to finishing our preparation of the Fall concert rep. We are continuing to distribute music via Google Drive. Find your parts for each concert in separate folders, and print or download them to your iPad for the first rehearsal on September 8:

• Fall Concert – Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 pm at TMH
• RevFest Concert – Sunday, September 28 at 1:30 pm at Croton Point Park

Please review your parts before the first rehearsal. I especially encourage you to practice Pines, Urban Light, and Intrada.

Fundraising Committee

We were able to push back our deadline to move our equipment out of TMH until December 31. We’ve been working diligently to find a full-time rehearsal site that is convenient for all northern- and southern-based players. In the meantime, we have a rehearsal schedule pieced together with TMH rehearsals, plus several other area sites when TMH is completely unavailable.

What is the exact location of our future rehearsals? We’re not sure yet. What we are sure of is that it’s going to cost more for rehearsal space rentals than in the past. To that end, we have planned to work with a Fundraising Committee, chaired by Russ Ebersole, to meet the challenge of the increased rehearsal rental costs.

We are looking for a few more players who do not already serve on the board to serve on this committee. We need your brilliant ideas! If you would like to be a mover and shaker, please speak to Russ Ebersole at the first rehearsal on September 8.

Rehearsal/performance schedule

Please click here for the 2025-2026 schedule. Rehearsals/performances are on Tab 1 and a summary of performances only is on Tab 2.

In order to cover all the rehearsals for which TMH cannot accommodate us, we had to also book rehearsals at Irvington Presbyterian Church (for sectionals), St. Barnabas Church in Irvington (directly adjacent to Irvington Presbyterian Church), Knights of Columbus in Port Chester, New Rochelle HS, and White Plains HS. IMPORTANT: White Plains HS is still reviewing our insurance documents. As soon as we are cleared, I will move half of the rehearsals that were booked at New Rochelle (as a “safety site”) to White Plains. We are aware of the long drives for northern-based members, and sensitive to keeping the New Rochelle bookings at a workable minimum.

2025-2026 repertoire

The theme for this season is: “Our Blended Heritage: From Many, One America,” to honor the legacy of our heritage and prepare for the National Semiquincentennial next July 4. You can review the entire season’s repertoire here. (I will be adding reference recordings to this list as soon as I come up for air.)

Enjoy what’s left of the summer. I’ll see you all next Monday, September 8 for our first rehearsal!

Happy Summer, everyone!

I hope this has been an enjoyable and easy-going summer for everyone. I’m writing with some quick news items.

Please welcome the newest member of WSW!

Join me in congratulating Jessica and Joe on the birth of their daughter, Ella Jean Natale! She arrived a little early on July 19, weighing 7lb 14oz! Everyone is doing well as they settle into life with a newborn.

Rehearsals resume September 8

Please plan for our first full fall rehearsal on Monday, September 8 at 7:30 pm at TMH. The full schedule of confirmed performances and tentative rehearsals can be found here. Our Board meets this coming week and will confirm the rehearsal schedule at that time. The parts for Pines of Rome are ready, and eager beavers can access those parts here.

Keep in mind that we’ve committed to reprise the Caramoor 2025 program (without the vocal numbers) at Rev Fest 250 on Sunday, September 28, call at 12:30 pm and performance at 1:30 pm. This will be a major fund-raiser for us, and provide outstanding exposure at the perfect time before the concerts for the season begin.

Additional details and links to all the music folders will be sent out later this month.

Upcoming Open Houses at Laubin Oboes!

This information was just sent out to our Double Reed Ensemble oboes and English horns from 2023. If you have a student oboist looking for a quality, affordable instrument that is not as costly as the top-of-the-line professional models, consider attending one of these open houses later in the month. RSVP directly to Jim Phelan at the address referenced below.

Caramoor

I’m writing to extend a heartfelt word of thanks for the tremendous performance at Caramoor last week. From top to bottom, it was a milestone performance for this ensemble. Combined with the monumental crowd (both the Venetian Theater and the lawn were completely sold out), your work really made the evening both exceptional and memorable. Tim Coffey later confided, “You know, there will only be two completely sold out concerts this summer — Yo-Yo Ma and WSW.” I believe that is a huge compliment, and one to relish.

Thank you again for your selfless determination and vigor, which made this all possible.

Pines of Rome parts

As promised, the Pines of Rome parts are posted. Some final designations remain to be made pending personnel updates for the fall, but having access to the parts at this time will certainly be an advantage. If you are curious or eager, find the Resphigi/Nefs parts here.

RevFest 2025 on September 28

FYI – The September concert rep is confirmed, and it is exactly the same as Caramoor last week with two exceptions: no vocal solos, and we will perform Barton’s Pre-Americana as the prelude to the Star-Spangled Banner instead of Simple Gifts. This is because the sponsor wants to hear Yankee Doodle and other Revolutionary War songs, so Pre-Americana is perfect. So to confirm, the program on Sunday, September 28 at Croton Point Park is:

• Pre-Americana/SSB
• K&E Medley
• Fairest of the Fair
• The Cowboys
• The Free Lance
• 1812
• Stars & Stripes

And you can find all the RevFest parts in this folder. (Essentially, I just relabled the Caramoor folder.)

Full program for 2025-2026

I’m still at work finishing up the final details of next year’s program. I’ll be able to formallyl announce it next month. In the mean time, thank you once again and enjoy the summer season!

This week:

• Personnel forms
• Dress rehearsal
• Caramoor details
• WSW’s 38th season highlights

Personnel forms

We still have a number of members who have not completed the 2025-2026 personnel form. Please, please, please complete this by Monday! Note that the September performance at Croton Point Park has been adjusted to Sunday, September 28 at 1:30 pm (call at 12:30 pm), and the form now reflects this.

See the bottom of this post for 2025-2026 highlights.

Dress rehearsal

As announced, our final, dress rehearsal for Caramoor is this coming Monday at 7:30 pm at TMH. See the rehearsal plan posted here. Mimi Hilaire will be joining us at the top of the rehearsal, and then we’ll play through the rest of the program in order.

BIG NEWS! Thanks to our president, Chris Larsen, this will most likely not be our final Monday rehearsal at TMH. Chris spoke with Björn Olsson, TMH Executive Director, on Friday and successfully negotiated an extension for us through January. This is a much more reasonable timeline. There are many Mondays that are not available for us at TMH in the fall, but at least we don’t have to hurry to get our percussion out before the first rehearsal on September 8. When you have a minute, please thank Chris!

Caramoor performance details

Please keep this information in mind for next Friday’s performance:

• Arrive at Caramoor between 3:30-3:45 pm. Tell the parking attendant’s “I’m with the orchestra,” and they will send you the long way around the Rosen House and the picnic area to the artist parking lot. It’s a longer drive, but the reserved area is actually adjacent to the Venetian Theater.
• If you want to leave immediately after the performance and not stay for the fireworks:
  • Tell the parking attendant that you’re performing but not staying for the fireworks, and you need to park in the audience lot as close to the exit as possible. You cannot park in artist parking, because the fireworks block the exit route.
  • After Stars & Stripes: If you have a black folder, give it to a section-mate and ask them to turn it in for you. Leave immediately to get to your car, and go!
• The schedule on Friday is:
  • 3:30-3:45 pm – Arrival and setup
  • 4:00 pm – Sound check rehearsal. The only full runs are the vocal numbers with Mimi.
  • 5:45-ish pm – Sound check with bell ringers for 1812
  • 6:00 pm – Picnic supper, supplied by Caramoor. I’ve indicated that we need both veggie and gluten-free options. They don’t need names or a count for this.
  • 8:00 pm – Downbeat
  • Following the concert, if you have a black WSW concert folder, please clear out any music and all other items, and place your folder in one of the green bags backstage. If you have questions, speak to Nancy Mattson.
  • The cell phone signal is notoriously poor at Caramoor. Please plan to use the artist wifi; user name and password are posted backstage.
  • Attire – White tops and black bottoms, comfortable black shoes. No ties or jackets, but you’re welcome to bring a white sweater if you think you’ll be chilly in the 80º weather that is predicted. As always, no cologne or perfume in consideration of others, thank you.
  • Many of us will be hanging out at the tables between the artist parking lot and the Venetian Theater to watch the fireworks and debrief the season. You’re welcome to bring your own adult beverages if you like. It’s a nice opportunity to unwind, have a great view of the fireworks and enjoy the company of your colleagues. It’s also a great chance for me to thank you individually for all of your diligent efforts throughout the season.

2025-2026 – WSW’s 38th season

At this point we are planning on performing all three concerts at TMH. Details are in the right column on this site’s home page. We will be rehearsing at TMH in the fall, with some alternate sites necessary because of TMH availability.

• Major works include (Fall/Winter/Spring): The Pines of Rome / Bamboo Shoots and City Streets, Trittico / Maslanka Symphony No. 4
• Guest conductors include: Dr. Brian Cardany / Jasmine Britt / Col. Timothy Holtan and Jessica Stein-Natale
• Apprentice conductors include: Katherine Filatov / Devon Toland
• Guest soloists include: Morris Northcut, trumpet, cornet, and flugelhorn / SSG Keith Kile, tuba / MaryKay Messenger, vocalist

And of course, we will celebrate our nation’s semiquincentennial on Saturday, July 4 at Caramoor with an extra-special Independence Day program!

It’s going to be another top-notch season. I look forward to continuing to work with you all!