My Top Ten Moments to Listen For

Thought I'd give you a list of the top 10 moments I'm looking forward to hearing in the concert.

10. Elegy for a Young American - at rehearsal number 4, when the clarinets come in with the new melody line (clearly I'm a little biased).

9. Partita - the Chorale and Variations (second) Movement - the horn choir at the beginning.

8. Partita - again, the Chorale and Variations Movement - the variation at 60, with the eighth notes on top of the Dies Irae.

7. Pictures at an Exhibition - Catacombe Movement. The power of the brass is amazing (I just hope it doesn't blow the woodwinds off the stage).

6. The Padstow Lifeboat - the "Victory at Sea" part after the cantabile section.

5. Pictures at an Exhibition - the Bydo (Ox-Wagon) movement. The whole thing. I just love it.

4. Lollapalooza - at 92, where the trumpets play before the percussion takes over and the flutes spazz. I honestly like that section, but I mostly like it because John describes it as such. :)

3. Pictures at an Exhibition - Ballet Des Poussins Dan Leurs Coques. It's just cute and the woodwinds get to shine.

2. Pictures at an Exhibition - the last movement (La Grande Porte de Kiev), the clarinet/woodwind choirs at 106 and 109. Again I'm biased, but it's so pretty after all the loud fanfares.

1. Lollapalooza - the last 12 measures. Because I know if we've made it here, and we're mostly together, we'll make to to the end and we pulled it off. :)

The Encore

I hate to give it away that we have an encore prepared, but this one is so good I have to plant the seed now (if I have any readers that are just audience members and not bandies). You must, must, must clap loud enough to get us to play this. And if you don't, we'll play it anyway.

It's charming, it's comical, and gosh darn it, it's the way to send people home on a Sunday afternoon after a few hours of great band works.

See you Sunday, November 23rd at 3:00 pm - Schwann Concert Hall at the Wisconsin Lutheran College.