Westerville Concert Band 11/1

This performance featured Alfred Reed's "Festive Overture", fondly remembered from my high school days in the late '70s. We also did Jack Stamp's "Chorale and Toccata" which we struggled with through the rehearsals but it seemed to go ok in the performance. Special mention goes to the woodwind section for its performance of an arrangement of the "Royal Fireworks Music". The Bouree was, for me, the highlight of the concert. A somber piece, Robert Spittal's "Pacem - A Hymn for Peace" was also done. When done well as it was in a performance shown on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kURSI4Ua3hQ it is a captivating piece. In my view, we never seemed to get it. The piece is launched by short solos in the trumpet and horn and takes off from there. The solos weren't good and we didn't recover, though the performance as a whole wasn't terrible. We also did a few lighter pieces - show tunes, marches, jazzy things, etc. which went pretty well.

Westerville Concert Band 10/12

This was a rehearsal for the fall concert which is scheduled for 11/2. We had a smaller horn section than usual - three for the first 45 minutes or so, then two more showed up later. As usual, we did so much better with the smaller section. I am not sure why that is. Perhaps we can all hear each other and lock in more. Or maybe with eight people, two or three people missing the mark are gumming up the whole section. The first player did not show and he had the first folder, so there were no solos to be heard in the section. It got me to thinking about how I've never heard a really good horn solo in my six years with the group. It just seems that we have always had capable but lazy, non-practicing people in the first horn chair. This is a really good band and it would be nice if we could develop a good horn section that could keep up with everyone else and a good first player worthy of the other soloists. We are getting better, though. Perhaps in a few years.

Clintonville Community Band 10/7

This was a rehearsal; with no performances imminent, we did run throughs of Christmas music to see what we would like to plan on doing for the holiday concert in December. In the main, Christmas music is Christmas music - though there were a few surprises, including a Fantasia on Greensleeves by Elliot Del Borgo and Emmanuel Variants by Robert Foster. They are very similar works both in sound and in structure. They took the well-known melodies and gave them a number of variations which took them in directions quite different from the original sources. I liked them both, although they might be a little heavy-handed for the holiday concerts which are usually light in content.

We have had five horns in the section for the past few weeks after losing a few and being down to two at times during the summer. We always seem to have a good section with this group despite the constant turnover we have. Oddly, the other band that I'm in, the Westerville Concert Band has a pretty steady lineup of horns, usually six to eight people, but we always struggle - even when we play easier material. The orchestra that I've played in for years, the Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra of Columbus, has the best of both worlds - a steady lineup of solid musicians in the horn section. Unfortunately, I've had to step aside from that group because of a conflict with my job.

GCCO 9/11

The Greater Columbus Community Orchestra did a pops concert in Hilliard for a festival the town was having the weekend of 9/11-13. I was invited to perform with them as a substitute hornist. As a matter of fact, three of the four horns were subs as most of the regulars were unable to do the gig.

We did some music from movies (James Bond, Star Wars, Oklahoma, etc.) and television (Theme from Mission Impossible). We did some light classical (Light Cavalry Overture, and the slow movement of Dvorak 9, with a huge cut).

It went quite well and the audience seemed to enjoy it. I have had few experiences performing pops music with orchestras (though I've had many with bands), so this was a fun gig. I'd like to do another one sometime soon.

Clintonville Community Band 8/23

We shared this date at the Park of Roses gazebo with the Clintonville Community Choir. It was nice to have them around as they added so much to the concert. No other group I've ever been with has had an affiliated group with it and they are a wonderful group to boot. We started the concert with a 40 or so minute set then yielded to the choir for theirs. After they were done we combined to perform an arrangement of "The Battle Hymn to the Republic". We had a guest conductor, Steve Kaufmann, in the absence of our regular conductor, Rick Burkart. Things went pretty well as a whole. A special mention goes to the woodwind section for their standout performance of Pierre LaPlante's "The High Barbaree", a selection of sailing songs.

I remember thinking during the performance how the band used to perform inside the gazebo. Now we'd have a hard time fitting even half of us in it. Usually, we put the percussion in it and the rest of us out in front. Yesterday, the choir used it. The horn section sat directly in front of it, and I noticed how much easier it was to hear us. I think it was because the sound echoing off the concrete steps.

Westerville Concert Band 8/23

We performed at the Coming Home Festival at Alum Creek Park in Westerville. It was a fairly routine concert except that we had James Swearingen with us to conduct his piece, "In the Presence of Heroes". It was more symbolic than anything else, since he wasn't at any of the rehearsals but it was a nice experience to play for the composer. After the gig, I had to quickly sprint out to my next gig with the Clintonville Community Band at the Park of Roses.

Clintonville Community Band 8/19

The band rehearsed for the next performance which is 7 pm 8/23 at the Park of Roses gazebo. We will be performing with our sister organization, the Clintonville Community Choir. We are looking forward to it. The choir will add much to our performance and they bring their audience with them as well. The combined performances always seem to have the best audiences.

Westerville Concert Band 8/17

We rehearsed for a concert to be performed Sun. Aug 23. Four horns were in the section instead of the usual six (and sometimes seven or eight). The section has always sounded better with four people. The intonation is much better and we are all "locked in". Yesterday was no exception. I've said many times that the section was too large.

Clintonville Community Band 8/12

We performed at Wesley Glen Retirement Community, just north of Graceland Shopping Center, Columbus. It went quite well. Dr. Paul Droste, a retired professor of music and marching band director at Ohio State, sat in with us taking the Euphonium solo in the Holst Second Suite for Military Band. He also took the baton and conducted two pieces. Needless to say, he is quite a musician whether playing or conducting and it was a wonderful experience to rehearse and perform with him. Dr. Richard Burkart, another retired OSU professor of music and the father of our regular conductor Rick, sat in with us as well on Trumpet. He has performed with us before, as conductor and as soloist, and it is always a pleasure. The Wesley Glen residents have always been good audiences and I look forward to performing here again.