This fall was basically normal again!! COVID still lingered as a background threat, but it hardly touched the band activities in my corner of the world. The season began with a vestige of summer: two outdoor concerts with the Oneonta Community Concert Band on September 4 (3pm at Wilber Park) and September 11 (2pm at Neahwa Park). They featured the same program, titled “Strike Up the Band”:
Strike Up the Band – George Gershwin, arr. Barker
Les Miserables Selections – Claude-Michel Schönberg, arr. Barker
An American Elegy – Frank Ticheli
Symphonic Suite from Star Wars: The Force Awakens – John Williams, arr. Bocook
Gee, Officer Krupke – Leonard Bernstein, arr. Murtha
The Liberty Bell – John Philip Sousa
Halcyon Hearts – Katahj Copley
Our Hometown Band – Rene Prins
My attention then turned back to Hartwick College, where the Wind Ensemble presented two indoor concerts and hosted our annual Honor Band.
TREASURES: Thursday, October 6, 7:30pm
Canterbury Chorale – Jan Van Der Roost
Some treasures are heavy with human tears – John Mackey
Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo – Malcolm Arnold, arr. Paynter
HONOR BAND: Sunday October 23, 5:30pm, with guest conductor Armand Hall
Brighton Beach – William Latham
Halcyon Hearts – Katahj Copley
REVOLUTION!: Tuesday, November 15 at 7:30pm
A Mother of a Revolution! – Omar Thomas
Military Symphony in F – François Joseph Gossec (conducted by Louis Doherty)
In Dreams – Cait Nishimura (conducted by Tristan Bachorik)
First Suite in E-flat – Gustav Holst
I did squeeze in one more gig with the Oneonta Community Concert Band, which presented its Veterans’ Day concert at the Foothills Performing Arts Center in Oneonta on Sunday, November 13 at 3pm:
The Black Horse Troop – John Philip Sousa
Courage for Winds – Adrienne Albert
Military Escort – Harold Bennett
Suite Francaise – Darius Milhaud (movements 1, 4, and 5)
Hymn for the Lost and the Living – Eric Ewazen
Armed Forces Salute – arr. Bob Lowden
God Bless America – Irving Berlin
With all of that wrapped, the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble presented its Fall program on Sunday, November 20 at 3pm at the Foothills Performing Arts Center. Here, we unveiled our new principal conductor team of me and the amazing Amy Hoxie.
I conducted:
Fanfare Aureus – Kimberly Archer
On Shores of Endless Sea – Kevin Day
Symphonic Songs – Robert Russell Bennett
Amy conducted:
March of the Belgian Paratroopers – Pierre Leemans
Rhosymedre – Ralph Vaughan Williams
An Original Suite – Gordon Jacob
Polka and Fugue from Schwanda the Bagpiper – Jaromir Weinberger
Finally, I attended the NYSSMA Winter Conference on December 1-4, and had maybe my busiest conference ever. Officially, I was representing Hartwick at booth 20 in the exhibit hall. I also appeared in two presentations: the first, with Meghan Sheehy, on “Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Action” on Thursday evening; and the second, with the Hartwick Brass Ensemble, showcasing our improv skills in “Cultivating Inclusive Ensembles through Improvisation.” I also attended the NYSBDA board meeting and reconnected with those very fine people. And I got to reconnect with many other friends at colleagues from all across the state. It was a magical end to a productive season.