What a whirlwind of a season! Band things got going before the semester even started, and they never really let up. So this page started getting crowded with all of the incredible repertoire we got to work with across several ensembles. Since I conduct two standing groups that use this page a lot, I decided to finally start up new dedicated pages for them! Check them out:
Hartwick College Wind Ensemble
These pages will rotate with each new set of repertoire, so I’ll continue to spell out their history in recaps like these.
The season began in Troy, NY with Rensselaer All County Band on January 27. The rep was:
Chasing Sunlight – Cait Nishimura
American Riversongs – Pierre LaPlante
A Galop to End All Galops – Warren Barker
The Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble had a Pops concert planned for January 28, but the weather had other ideas. Repertoire (split between me and Amy Hoxie) was to include:
The Rolling Stones on Tour – Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, arr. Roszell
Moon River – Henry Mancini, arr. Brown
Just a Closer Walk with Thee – Traditional, arr. Don Gillis and Calvin Custer
The Peanut Vendor – Moisés Simons, arr. John Moss
The Queen of Soul (Remembering Aretha Franklin) arr. Paul Murtha
Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite – Karl King
When You Wish Upon a Star – Leigh Harline, arr. Sammy Nestico
“Lost Lady Found” from Lincolnshire Posy – Percy Grainger
The Phantom of the Opera – Andrew Lloyd Webber, arr. Barker
Tutued Toucan Can Can – Erika Svanoe
I heard a whole lot of incredible college bands at the CBDNA Eastern Division conference in Ithaca, NY on February 22-24. I also re-connected with many wonderful friends.
Back home in Oneonta, we tried something totally new for us: Terry Riley’s In C. This was our entire concert, presented on LEAP DAY, Thursday, February 29 at 7:30pm in the Foreman Gallery at Hartwick’s Anderson Center. We were very pleased to welcome several guest musicians from our community for this wonderful open-instrumentation piece.
The next morning it was on to Syracuse for the NYSBDA Symposium on March 1-3. This reinforced my impression that New York is the absolute best state for band! (Though my position as NYSBDA president may color my perspective here.)
Honor bands resumed as I headed to the Hudson Valley for the Ulster All County Band on March 9, playing this outstanding lineup with an absolutely incredible band:
One Life Beautiful – Julie Giroux
Halcyon Hearts – Katahj Copley
Prelude, Siciliano, and Rondo – Malcolm Arnold, arr. Paynter
The following weekend I was back closer to home in Richfield Springs, NY for the Herkimer All County Band. They played:
Journey Through Orion – Julie Giroux
Some treasures are heavy with human tears – John Mackey
Sunny-Side Up – Michael Markowski
New Wade N Water – Adolphus Hailstork
At the beginning of April, I had the honor of being a guest clinician with the Westhill High School Wind Ensemble on their trip to New York City. The staging area was White Plains High School, where we also heard and worked with their band. The vibe was so palpable, it actually shook the earth! (As in literally, there was an earthquake during the White Plains performance!) Featured rep included:
Caribana Afterparty – Omar Thomas
All My Heart – Michael Markowski
First Suite in E-flat – Gustav Holst
The Hartwick College Wind Ensemble saluted our seniors with a WORLDS BEYOND concert on April 25. It was a really special night!
The March from 1941 – John Williams – conducted by Heidi Collischonn
Variations on a Korean Folk Song – John Barnes Chance
The Anguish of Nosferatu – Ed Kiefer
Message from Arecibo – James David
Excerpts from The Rite of Spring – Igor Stravinsky, arr. Buckley
I was back in the Hudson Valley for the last week in April. I led the Orange Elementary All County Band on April 27. The put on an outstanding show with these great tunes:
Appalachian Whisper – Jennifer McDonel
Three Songs of Bengal – Aakash Mittal
Chester Variations – Elliot Del Borgo
The Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble Spring Concert, “Places,” happened on Sunday, April 28 at 3pm at the Foothills Center, no cancellation this time, and we got to recycle some of the Pops repertoire!
Amy Hoxie conducted:
Songs from the Catskills – Johan de Meij
Gallito Pasodoble – Santiago Lope
Moon River – Henry Mancini (Megan Carpenter, horn solo)
Army of the Nile – Kenneth Alford (Max Jackson, guest conductor)
Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion – PDQ Bach
I conducted:
The Pathfinder of Panama – John Philip Sousa
Big City Lights – Marie Douglas
Lincolnshire Posy – Percy Grainger
Tutued Toucan Can Can – Erika Svanoe
Barnum and Bailey’s Favorite – Karl King
The season concluded with an outstanding commencement ceremony at Hartwick. We opened with Sousa’s The Black Horse Troop and recapped AYO. What a wonderful way to end the year!