Another Fun Night of Music

Our Rochester Community Band concert was last Saturday evening. While they were in the midst of snow up in the Cities, we had a rainy day which kept the concert on schedule. Two pieces bear mention.

First was a moment of long-sought redemption from years past. The American composer, Leroy Anderson has this piece called The Irish Washerwoman. At about 1:09 into the piece (in the video below) is a wicked, wicked passage for the trumpets (but not the cornets.) Probably around 20 years ago another community band I played in back in Watertown, WI, played this piece and the other trumpet and I have cursed it for years. So imagine my fear, chagrin, and panic when our director put this on the concert list.

I whined; I cried; I made snide remarks. The director smiled.

I offered to take one of the cornet parts; my colleagues shook their heads in mock sympathy.

(Allan and) I were stuck. Could we do it? Could we make up for my long years of agonizing memory? Listen below at about 1:09 and judge for yourself.



I think we did it. It felt good! Very good.!


But just as much fun was this piece, Abram's Pursuit, by composer David Holsinger. It is a relentless and complex piece of work that just pushes and pushes. Each time we rehearsed it I fell more in love with it. Here is the description on J. W. Pepper's product page:

Medium-Advanced
Pursuit, indeed! This rampaging work is a careening chase that starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the final notes! Inspired by the biblical story from Genesis, Holsinger has created a furious up-tempo composition marked with vivid accents, flurrying woodwind and keyboard percussion writing, and incessant percussion that rhythmically drives the piece. Extremely exciting and vibrant stuff for mature bands!

Enjoy!