The cream always rises to the top

The Tri-State Wind Symphony, June 26, 2014

In every year since our second season (I believe), the players of the Tri-State Wind Symphony have selected the season's final concert program, the Player's Favorites.  Of course, they are selecting from those works that the conductor has already programmed for the individual concerts, so there is an initial kind of "expectation" of the repertoire that they have from which to choose.  BUT, over the years, I have continually been pleasantly surprised when the "cream rises to the top," i.e. the members always seem to select the best works among their favorites.  For example, this year the top five votes went to:

• Karl L. King:  Thumbs Up USA
• Karl L. King:  Emblem of Freedom
• Steven Reineke:  Sedona
• Meredith Willson:  The Unsinkable Molly Brown
• Gaetano Donizetti/Alford:  Lucy's Sextette (A Ragtime Travesty)

Karl King--Number 1 & 2!

It's surprising that two marches by the same composer rose to the top, although I'll admit that I've programmed more King this summer than ever before.  I suppose its due to my experience with Barnum and Bailey's Favorite, prepared by the QCWE for our first concert and used as an encore on two subsequent performances.  We worked out the nuance of this incredible piece so that I thought we put a stamp on this march that said, "This is high art."  Another interesting note is that none of these pieces has been in our repertoire prior to this year.  I know that if I'd planned on a Holst Suite, that would have been number one (it always is) and it's probably time to pull out the F-Suite (No. 2) as we've not played it in a few.

The same holds true with the Bettendorf Park Band, which I assumed directorship this spring.  The final concert that we will present includes the following:

• George Gershwin/Moss:  Strike Up the Band
• James Swearingen:  Flight of Valor
• John WilliamsLavender:  Hymn to the Fallen
• Gustav Holst:  Suite in E-flat (the clear favorite!)
• Johann Strauss/Carey:  Thunder and Lightning Polka
• John Barry/Bocook:  Dances With Wolves
• arr. Barker:  Magic of Andrew Lloyd Webber
• John Philip Sousa:  Washington Post

Gustav Holst, the cream always rises!

A few surprises as we spent a good part of our most recent rehearsal "righting the wrongs" in Flight of Valor, a particularly evocative piece from a composer I've never been particularly enamored with, but this one is special.  Hymn to the Fallen was a challenge for the band and I was glad to see it selected.  And the Lloyd Webber medley?  We whipped that one up in one rehearsal and the ensemble did a wonderful job!

But poor Karl King.  We played Thumbs Up with the BPB as well, along with Alhambra Grotto and Invictus (another circus masterpiece).  I just think that the band has tired of a lot of King over the years and I probably need to retire him for a season or two.  There's still plenty of good stuff out there!

Now the real challenge will be in conducting one ensemble on July 31 and the next on August 1.  As long as I'm in the right city, I guess I'll be ok.

Oops!  Wrong band!  Leading the DCamp "Family Band" from a saxophone part!

Here's the right band:  the BPB on July 4...