What a doozy of a semester. We’ll start at the beginning, when band was still a thing. If you want a deep dive into my COVID experience, skip to my essay on the topic.
This semester began with a visit to the City Wind Orchestra in London, UK, to work on Martin Ellerby’s Paris Sketches. It was incredible to see their space and see just how alive the British wind band tradition was through this band.
Meanwhile, the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble prepared its annual Pops concert for January 26:
Overture to The Marriage of Figaro – W. A. Mozart, arr. Slocum
In the Bleak Midwinter – Gustav Holst, arr. Smith
How the West Was Won – Alfred Newman, arr. Hawkin
Selections from Sweeney Todd – Stephen Sondheim, arr. Bulla
Pirates of the Caribbean – Hans Zimmer, arr. Ricketts
Russian Sailors’ Dance – Reinhold Gliere, arr. Leidzen
March from 1941 – John Williams, arr. Lavender
Jesus Christ Superstar – Andrew Lloyd Webber, arr. Mancini and Moss
Guardians of the Galaxy – Various, arr. Brown
Selections from Les Miserables – Claude-Michel Schönberg, arr. Barker
Porgy and Bess – George Gershwin, arr. Barnes
and we encored with Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever.
The Hartwick College Wind Ensemble began its season with a concert on March 5 that paid tribute to its graduating seniors, titled Nothing Gold Can Stay.
American Overture – Joseph Wilcox Jenkins (for trumpeter turned hornist Nick Rivera)
October – Eric Whitacre (for flautist Rebecca Sniffen)
Women of the Podium – Virginia Allen (conducted by junior Ushuaia Diaz)
Song for Japan – Steven Verhelst, arr. Watanabe (selected and conducted by bari sax veteran Rusty Elster)
Nothing Gold Can Stay – Steven Bryant (for flautist Bryandt Stevens)
Fate of the Gods – Steven Reineke (for clarinetist Rosie Siniscalchi, conducted by junior James Dana)
Travel continued as usual. I began by going to the CBDNA Eastern Division conference at Temple University on February 21 and 22. Then on March 6-8, I enjoyed the fruits of my labor at the NYSBDA Symposium in Syracuse, NY, which included several outstanding performances and clinics which, as 1st Vice President of NYSBDA, I helped to arrange. Little did I know just how significant this legitimate love-fest for New York bands would be in my memory and that of so many others.
Because then the Coronavirus hit. And suddenly, concert halls went dark around the world, and the rest of the season was cancelled. Bands everywhere were no longer allowed to be together. The cancelled concerts didn’t sting as much as the inability to be together with the people in our ensembles and enjoy each others’ company. But certainly, almost an entire semester of repertoire was lost. My losses looked like this:
The Hartwick season was to continue with a trip to CARNEGIE HALL (!!) on April 20 (to be reprised at home on April 28). That program was supposed to feature:
Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo – Malcolm Arnold, arr. Paynter
George Washington Bridge – William Schuman
Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble was set for its spring concert on May 3:
Symphony no. 3 – Vittorio Giannini
Fanfare Aureus – Kimberly Archer
Fortress – Frank Ticheli
Testament – Robert Jager
Overture to Marriage of Figaro – W. A. Mozart, arr. Slocum
On March 20 and 21, I was scheduled to lead the All County High School Band in Herkimer County, NY. They would have played:
The Lighthouse – JoAnne Harris
The Black Horse Troop – John Philip Sousa
On April 7, I was supposed drop in on the Delaware Winds to conduct John Barnes Chance’s Elegy on their spring concert.
But none of that happened. Instead, I practiced social distance with my family, and taught my Wind Ensemble online. Given lemons, we attempted to make lemonade. So we tried some different things, all remotely:
We actually performed 4’33” – John Cage in a semi-synchronous fashion. Check the link for a look at how that happened.
We also spent minimal time with the following pieces on Smartmusic:
After a Gentle Rain – Anthony Iannaccone
Ecstatic Fanfare – Steven Bryant
Celtic Hymns and Dances – Eric Ewazen
The Solitary Dancer – Warren Benson
If you’re wondering how this all went down, I wrote a little something about the experience. Short version: it was an impossibly sad, disappointing experience with no silver lining. We managed to connect in some almost-real ways, but ultimately, I was left pining for in-person band.