Christmas is coming early this year

Well, kids - you heard it here first.  Christmas is coming early this year - at least for the Knightwind Ensemble and anyone attending our fall concert (Theme: Milestones).  That's right.  Christmas is coming early because Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music is on the program.


I first played this piece in college, with the St. Olaf Band (hi, Dr. Mahr!).  Thanks to the tradition of the band playing the chapel service during Christmas Festival, I got to play it four times.  I'm certain those four times changed my [musical] life. 


This piece has beauty.  It has grace.  It has glory.  It takes you through many emotions during its 15 minutes.  But it is something everyone should experience.


Now that I've been out in the real world, I'd like to think, that even though I don't play clarinet professionally, my playing has matured a bit since college.  So, I am very excited to play Russian Christmas Music again, through a different "musical lens", if you will.  I mean, quite frankly, after college, you find it hard to believe you'll ever play with a band of that caliber again.  And you'll never get to play that type of repetoire again.  But, with Knightwind we get both.  An ensemble of great players and great music. 


So, we read through it last night, and we have a way to go with it.  But it was still the highlight of last night's rehearsal for me, and glorious in its own way.  :)