The Wait Continues

The first-half of the concert still isn't here. John has had some serious dialogue with the higher-ups, and they've promised it will be here in a few days. After a series of promises, though, John thinks it won't be here until Thursday of next week (1/24) - i.e. the day AFTER we rehearse. Nice. So, there's that...

We spent the majority of the first half of rehearsal on The Man Who Invented Music. It's going to be fun, because it features narration! and he tells her how he invented music. The music is charming, and full of little inside jokes that most everyone should get. You can read an article about the piece from a 1949 issue of TIME by clicking here.

The challenge right now is working out the timing. Poor John is reading the musical score, and the dialogue, and trying to make sure they sync up. They probably do in his head, but they'll likely change with the real live narrator. So, we've got to get to know it well enough to be flexible when the time comes.

The other major focus for the week was William Tell. We were a little sparse in attendance this week, and we still don't have any bassoons - so no opening solo. We made our way through from start to finish again, and then John gave us a taste of some real tempos that we need to strive for. The thing about these orchestral transcriptions for band - they don't get performed very often, because they have to be great. The melodies and the real tempos are too well known to fake any of it. If you're not true to the original, you know every discriminating ear in the place is saying, "Well, they tried". Every non-discriminating ear is saying, "I think I know that song..." Bottom line is, we know we need to work hard, and we will.

I'd personally like to give a shout out to fellow clarinetist - Mary. She rocked the treetops during the Allegro - all by herself! I'm surprised there weren't sparks flying out from her mouthpiece. Nice, nice!

New Year, New Attitude

Well, we're back in rehearsals and it feels great! The program for the April concert is going to be a crowd pleaser. Very heroic. I'll give you more insights to that as the weeks progress. I've got to keep you reading this somehow ...

The most precious moment of the rehearsal for me this week was the very first downbeat (post-tuning). We started with "The Dam Busters" March (from the Associated British Picture "The Dam Busters"). John starts conducting, and after a beat or maybe two, cuts us off and says (slight paraphrase) "Uh, No." We started again, and it was good enough to move on, but it was quite funny.

Later on, during "The Man Who Invented Music", we got to the section where the trumpets are invented. John either let them finish, or stopped half way through (I can't quite remember...) and said, "Let's invent those trumpets again."

I thought to myself, "Wow, well, I guess John's New Year's Resolution for the band is to be harder on us. Or at least to be blatantly honest with us." I like it, though. It's good for us. It builds character.

In all seriousness, this program is looking to be quite good - and we only have the second half so far. We're still waiting for that piece from overseas - which will take up the whole first half of the concert! John is optimistic that it will be here for next week's rehearsal. It has to be, because it sounds like we don't have a plan b, and we need as much time to put this all together as possible!

In the meantime, you can check out a musical preview and the opening credits of "The Dam Busters" on YouTube.