Rehearsal Notes and Reminders

Even though my posts are about different community music groups in general, I volunteer time to the Knightwind Ensemble. And one or twice a concert season, I like to post a report on what is happening in the rehearsals as the group prepares for a concert. This is one such post.


The Knightwind Ensemble has been rehearsing for the Heroes concert since mid-January. I've been watching the progress on the music since then and it is amazing to see it come together. Here's some thoughts on the different pieces as they were rehearsed.


Olympic Fanfare - This John Williams piece from the 1984 Olympics is one of my favorites. It is a tough piece to play, but a really tough piece to play well. Every section needs to focus on blending into the whole to make the piece work. But there were a number of spots in the rehearsal that the goose bumps appeared....definitely starting to work. This will be a great way to begin the concert.


Sinfonia Hungarica - The feature piece is very difficult, but the group is getting over the hurdle of the notes and is working on the music. The Arpad movement begins in a dream mood, and in the rehearsal the woodwinds and percussion created a very eerie sound....really neat. There is also a more war-like section, driving and pulsating, but the sounds are unexpected and surprising...a very cool effect. The Istvan movement ends with the strains of the National Hymn of Hungary, a truly majestic finish. You have to hear this piece. I only wish that the first movement from this symphony, dedicated to Attila the Hun, was available to complete the concert. I guess the Ensemble will have to perform all three at a later concert once we are able to purchase Attila.


The Man Who Invented Music - This is a delightful piece, telling the story through the narrator of how Grandfather was able to get little Wendy to sleep: by telling her the story of how he invented music. The other rehearsals worked through the music as best as could be done without the narrator. However, our special guest Norman Moses was able to attend the rehearsal. After spending some time going over sections and details, the group performed the piece beginning to end. Wow! This will be a wonderfully fun piece at the concert. Mr. Moses did a great job narrating the story. What a difference when someone with Theater background is added to the ensemble!


William Tell Overture - The group ran through this one with no stops, but since it had been rehearsed heavily earlier, the sound was very nice. A lot of work was done earlier in the storm section, when different sections come together all playing sixteenth notes. Everyone has to concentrate on blending or the music sounds muddy. But the sounds came through clearly. Obviously this will be an audience favorite, but the attention to detail is already there.


I'm hoping to be able to report on the other pieces next week.




REMINDERS


The Milwaukee Festival Brass is having their Open Rehearsal on Tuesday April 1st. If you'd like to bring your horn and sit in with a British style Brass Band, here's your opportunity. See their web site for all the details: http://www.mfbrass.org/.

And don't forget the Milwaukee Metropolitan Community Concert Band is performing Sunday March 30 at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College.

Hot News!

KNIGHTWIND ENSEMBLE ANNOUNCES SPECIAL GUEST

The Knightwind Ensemble will welcome a special guest at its concert, Heroes, on Sunday April 6th at the Schwan Concert Hall at Wisconsin Lutheran College at 3 PM. The Ensemble will perform Don Gillis' composition The Man Who Invented Music. The Ensemble is proud to announce that Norman Moses, one of Milwaukee's favorite actors, will narrate the story. This delightful piece is a musical depiction of Grandfather telling Wendy a bedtime story, the story of how he invented music. Mr. Moses will surely bring his unique flair to the part.


Mr. Moses has been an actor/singer/director in the Milwaukee area for the past 30 years and has performed with such companies as the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Goodman Theatre, Skylight Opera Theatre, Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony, the Dayton Philharmonic and the Buffalo Philharmonic. In addition, he has been in hundreds of commercials and industrial films, as an on-screen and voice-over talent. In his spare time, of which there is little, he prepares tax returns for fellow performing artists in and around the Milwaukee area. He makes his home in Milwaukee with his wife, Carrie, and daughter, Kelsey.



WAUKESHA AREA SYMPHONIC BAND NEWS

I received word from the Waukesha Area Symphonic Band about their upcoming concert, set for Friday evening April 25 at 7:30 in the Shattuck Auditorium on the campus of Carroll College. This special concert, entitled Music From The Silver Screen, will benefit the Adaptive Community Approach Program, a Waukesha non-profit serving people with disabilities. Featured will be the winner of the Concerto Competition, trumpeter Brandon Viliunas. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, you can call 262-370-6129. I hope to have information on some of the music on the program for a future post.

Some smaller items

Reminder

The Milwaukee Festival Brass concert celebrating Irish Fest this Sunday the 16th at the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College (roughly 88th and Wisconsin) at 3 PM. See the web site for all the details: http://www.mfbrass.org/. Come and enjoy the Luck Of The Irish. And don't forget a donation of food for the Hunger Task Force.

An Open Rehearsal

Speaking of the Milwaukee Festival Brass, they will be hosting an "open rehearsal", so that people, who are interested in playing with the group but not really sure it is for them, can "test drive" the group to see if they will enjoy playing with the MFB. Here's what director Pat Backhaus has to say about the "open rehearsal":

April 1st (no foolin') is Milwaukee Festival Brass' annual open rehearsal. Any and all brass and percussion players are invited to sit in with the band to test drive what the brass band experience is all about. Some music will be available in the American brass format for players not yet skilled in the all-treble clef British brass band tradition. There is no cost, but MFB requests that anyone interested RSVP to their manager at Manager@mfbrass.org

United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay – Fellowship Hall (lower level)
819 E Silver Spring Dr; Whitefish Bay WI 53209
Rehearsal 7:30 to 9:30.
BRING A STAND.

So, if you'd like to try a British Style Brass Band with no commitment, here's your opportunity!

A Knightwind Rehearsal Blog

One of the members of the Knightwind Ensemble is blogging about her experiences during rehearsals for the upcoming concert. Actually, our Knightwind Girl has been blogging since the beginning of rehearsals for the concert last November. You can get some insight into what the rehearsals are like, what areas of the music need work, and most importantly, what cracks up members the most! If you've ever played in a music group, maybe the high school band during summer competition or a drum corps or even a summer community orchestra, you know that rehearsals can have moments of laughter and moments of quiet misery. While the Knightwind Girl's blog is not a soap opera, it does touch on what rehearsals are like; the good as well as the bad.

So spend a moment reading the Musical Musings of one Knightwind Girl at http://www.knightwindmilwaukee.blogspot.com/. If you played in a group years ago, it will bring back a flood of memories. And if you've never played in a group, it will bring some insight into what it takes to put a performance together. Enjoy!

Knightwind Ensemble Upcoming Concert - Part 2

In the last post I mentioned a few of the pieces on the Knightwind Ensemble's upcoming concert Heroes, on Sunday April 6th at 3 PM. In this post, I'll write about the feature piece by Jan van der Roost: Sinfonia Hungarica.



The History of Hungary



Sinfonia Hungarica is a three movement symphony written in celebration of Hungary's millennium, celebrated in 2001. It's premiere took place on March 31, 2001 in Budapest, performed by the Symphonic Band Kinskunfelegyhaza (the commissioning band) and was conducted by the composer. The three movements were inspired by key historical figures, wars, and other important events. It is, literally, a history of Hungary set to music.



Unfortunately, because only the last two of the three movements of the symphony were available, the Ensemble will not be able to perform the first movement, based on Attila, the King of the Huns. For the record, the movement is characterized by fear, threat, aggression, and cruelty. The exciting ending illustrates the speed of Attila's army, as they pursued their victims and killed them. One might also argue that music based on Attila the Hun should not appear on a concert dedicated to Heroes. However, I'm sure this exciting music will turn up on a future concert.



The Ensemble will perform the second movement, which focuses on Arpad, the founder of the Hungarian State. It begins in a dreamlike state, evoking his grandmother Emese, who dreamed of his future destination. One of Arpad's opponents, the Bulgarian Prince Zalan, was chased away after a fight. After this, Arpad officially named the territory Magyarorszag.



The final movement is named after Istvan, the King of Hungary who introduced Christianity into Hungary, and who was crowned by Pope Silvestro II on January 1, 1001. A solemn start leads to a war-like passage ending in loud crashes. This symbolizes the fact that the body of the pagan Koppany was cut into four pieces and sent to the four castles of the country as an example. After a quiet intermezzo, the National Hymn of Hungary is introduced. This broad gradioso ending also has a symbolic meaning: after 10 centuries, Hungary has many reasons to look back on its past with pride, and to look to the future with optimism and confidence.



It should be noted that the national hymn actually appears throughout the entire symphony. It is used as a thread, often hidden or partially hidden, hardly recognizable at the beginning and becoming more and more obvious near the end. It concludes the symphony as a final apotheoisis, making the band sound like a majestic living organ.





Even though this piece is very difficult, it is very listenable. The Ensemble is rehearsing the piece very hard, and the results are amazing. You will enjoy this piece. Again, Heroes will be presented on Sunday April 6th at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. For more information, see the Knightwind Ensemble web site: http://www.knightwind.org/.



And Don't Forget



The Milwaukee Festival Brass performs on Sunday March 16th at 3 PM, also in the Schwan Concert Hall, featuring Irish music. It is guaranteed to be great fun! And don't forget to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the Hunger Task Force!

Concert Preview - Knightwind Ensemble April 6

The upcoming concert by the Knightwind Ensemble is set for April 6th at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. The theme of the concert is Heroes, and the selections will include musical portraits of heroes, some real, some imaginary, some specific, and some general.


Heroes of Hungary


The feature piece of the concert is Sinfonia Hungarica, written by Jan van der Roost. This three movement symphony depicts the history of Hungary itself. Because this piece is so special, I'll devote a post to it in the next few weeks.


Teams of Heroes


Also on the program is a concert march by Englishman Eric Coates and used in the in the 1954 British War Film The Dam Busters. It turns out that the march was written by Mr. Coates before he received the call from the producers of the movie. He wanted to produce a march in the Elgarian form, along the lines of the Pomp and Circumstance marches. After hearing about the film, he thought that the march he just completed could be used...and it was.


Saluting modern heroes, the Ensemble will perform John Williams' Olympic Fanfare and Theme, written for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. In an interview in 1992, Mr. Williams stated that his music was intended to musically represent "the spirit of cooperation, of heroic achievement, all the striving and preparation that go before the events and all the applause that comes after them." It is still an audience favorite today.


Specific Heroes


The Ensemble will also salute specific heroes. The first piece in that vein will be the music from the 1991 motion picture Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, starring Kevin Costner with music by Michael Kamen. The music is dramatic, difficult, and very enjoyable for both the audience and the performers. Milwaukee's Paul Lavender created this arrangement of the music.


The Ensemble also salutes a very important fictional hero by performing the Don Gillis work The Man Who Invented Music. This delightful work mixes music and storytelling, with the narrator taking the role of Grandpa, telling his granddaughter Wendy how he invented music. It is guaranteed to make you smile.


Finally, the Ensemble will perform an evergreen favorite: the Overture to William Tell by Rossini. Whether you believe William Tell was real or fictional, this Eric Leidzen arrangement of the Rossini favorite is wonderful.



In an upcoming post, I'll go over the movements of the Sinfonia Hungarica, Stay tuned!

Upcoming Concert by the Milwaukee Festival Brass

The Milwaukee Festival Brass, the only British-style brass band in our area, performs their annual Festival concert, The Luck Of The Irish, on Sunday March 16th at 3 PM in the Schwan Concert Hall on the campus of Wisconsin Lutheran College. Music Director, Dr. Pat Backhaus, describes the concert this way.


Our March Concert is always a Festival program where we salute one of ethnic festivals, since we are the Milwaukee Festival Brass. This year we salute Irish Fest. We'll be doing a great Irish march Bravest of the Brave. There's a fun piece with a nod to the very popular Irish dance craze of the past decade or so. It's called Celtic Rock. Of course we could hardly do a program of this nature without doing The Irish Washerwoman, which will feature our trombone section.

Lonna Brooks, our solo tenor horn player will be featured on She's Like the Swallow, arranged by Jim Curnow. Our featured work is Music for a Festival by Philip Sparke. The band enjoys his compositions very much. I'm doing a totally non-Irish solo in Demare's Cleopatra - a classic cornet chestnut. And there will be some fun and surprises along the way too.

We always partner with the Hunger Task Force on this concert, so concertgoers should bring a non-perishable food item.


If you are not familiar with the music of Philip Sparke, he writes very enjoyable music to listen to, but a real bear to play well. His music is always a challenge for the performers, but always fun for the audience.

This is a concert you should not miss. And don’t forget to bring your food donation for the Hunger Task Force.

Your Help Is Needed

In the last post I discussed a number of different reasons that community music groups need financial support. Very few groups are able to get all of their support from agencies or programs. In fact, there are a number of groups in the Milwaukee area that must raise 100% of the funds they need to continue operating...and they do it. In this post I'll mention a number of different fund raising efforts by different groups in the area. Hopefully you can assist one or more of these groups. And certainly, all of these groups thank you in advance for your consideration of their efforts.


Music, Instruments and More


The Milwaukee Festival Brass, Milwaukee 's only British-style brass band, has a number of different opportunities for you to consider. First, they have a list of music that they would like to add to their library, and they would be very happy if you were kind enough to purchase one for them. Second, they are raising funds for new percussion instruments (which are quite expensive in and of themselves). Third, they include advertising in their concert programs. Fourth, the band participates in the We Care program at Pick'N'Save. Their next performance is Sunday March 16th when they salute Irish music (more on that concert in an upcoming post). There are lots of ways to assist the Milwaukee Festival Brass and they are listed on the web site: http://www.mfbrass.org/.


Advertising and Friendship


The Knightwind Ensemble, awarded the Sudler Silver Scroll in 2005 by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation, is Milwaukee 's premier community music group. The spring concert program book is their biggest fund raising effort for the year. Businesses can advertise in the book and individuals can add their names to the Patrons page, both at very low prices. If you purchase a full page ad (at $100), you'll receive two tickets to the concert on April 6th entitled Heroes as a thank you gift. See the web site for an ad form and more information: http://www.knightwind.org/.


The Knightwind Ensemble also has a Friends organization. Being a Friend brings you a newsletter published before each concert, as well as invitations to meet the guest artists after the concert. Again, see the web site for more information.


Your Help Is Crucial


The issue of fund raising is not one that many groups wish to aggressively discuss. Their main goal is to play music for appreciative audiences. However, in today's world, if the fund raising is not successful, the group will fold. Costs continue to rise, and different programs that fund community groups continue to be cut. The community groups find different ways to contribute to the quality of life of the community, and it is fitting that we find ways to contribute to their fund raising efforts. After all, we all want them to survive!