This fall was jam packed with concerts, despite the weather’s best efforts to get in the way.

At home, the Hartwick College Wind Ensemble had two programs this semester. We started with the Hartwick Honor Band, which also featured a band of almost 50 high school students, on Saturday, October 20.

Hartwick College Honor Band, Christian Wilhjelm, guest conductor

Liadov Fanfare – Brian Beck

Rest – Frank Ticheli

Courtly Airs and Dances – Ron Nelson

On the Mall – Edwin Franko Goldman

Hartwick Wind Ensemble – “Out of This World”

Gandalf from Lord of the Rings – Johan de Meij

Guilmant – Morceau Symphonique (Paul Blake, trombone)

Daydream – Timothy Mahr

Liberty Bell – John Philip Sousa

Journey Through Orion – Julie Giroux

This was followed by our “Remember Me” concert on Thursday, November 15 Tuesday, November 27 (thank you, snow storm).

Snow of an Aynu Village – Hirokazu Fukushima

With Quiet Courage – Larry Daehn

English Folk Song Suite – Ralph Vaughan Williams

Into the Silent Land – Steve Danyew – a MUST for any band that wants a truly, deeply moving experience

Chasing Sunlight – Cait Nishimura

Country Gardens – Percy Grainger

In November I traveled to two different areas of the Hudson Valley in New York to conduct their Area All State bands. Zone 11 (Westchester County) was on November 7 and 8, and Zone 7 (capital region) happened on November 16 and 17. The programs were very similar (although we had to cut the Bernstein from Zone 7 due to the weather delay):

Symphony no. 1: The Lord of the Rings – Johan de Meij
(Zone 11 played mvt. 1: Gandalf, and Zone 7 played mvt. 5: Hobbits)

Riften Wed – Julie Giroux

Camerado – Michael Markowski

Make Our Garden Grow from Candide Suite – Leonard Bernstein

Back home on November 11 (Veterans Day), I was honored to join Rene Prins and the Oneonta Community Concert Band in a concert to honor our Veterans (at 3pm in the former St. Mary’s School in Oneonta). The program looked like this:

On Parade – John Philip Sousa

Overture Courageous – Floyd St. Clair

In Uniform – Henry Fillmore

The Blue and the Gray – Clare Grundman

Polly Oliver – Thomas Root

National Emblem – E. E. Bagley

Valse Triste – Jean Sibelius

General Willie March – Egli

The Honored Dead – John Philip Sousa

Americans We – Henry Fillmore

Armed Forces Salute, arr. Lowden

God Bless America – Irving Berlin/arr. Leidzen

Also in Oneonta, the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble had concerts on October 14 and November 18. They were both select from the following:

Conducted by me:

Yosemite Autumn – Mark Camphouse

King Cotton – John Philip Sousa

Hold This Boy and Listen – Carter Pann

City Rain – Judith Zaimont

Conducted by Scott Rabeler:

Armenian Dances II – Alfred Reed

First Suite in E-flat – Gustav Holst

Of Sailors and Whales – W. Francis McBeth

American Patrol – F. W. Meacham

I capped the semester with a trip to the NYSSMA Winter Conference in Rochester. This featured some quality time at the Hartwick booth and my presentation, “The Magic of Singing with your Band,” on Thursday evening. I also had the distinct pleasure of seeing some All State rehearsals. It was, indeed, magical!