Staying Well

I hope you are all staying well.  These are new and uncharted territories we are all exploring.  It feels a little like Star Trek.  May we all boldly go where no one has ever gone before.

I continue to be impressed with the creativity of the music teachers trying to navigate online learning.  I also follow other community bands and find a little comfort in the fact that they are all in the same boat as we are.  As we move forward I will continue to share ideas and plans with you.  If I find some interesting lesson plans that I think you might like I will share them along.  Please feel free to reach out to me if there is something I can do to help you practice and continue to grow as a musician.

Below is a quote I took from the director of the Southern Winds Concert Band.  It is a nice musical recipe for all of us.

Before this is over with, we will all have a story to tell.

Everyone needs to be personally responsible for doing what needs to be done – like we do in the Southern Winds Concert Band:

TONE – make yourself pleasant to be around
BALANCE & BLEND – balance your physical needs with your spiritual needs, at this time everyone’s goals need blend together for the common good.
INTONATION – listen and adjust, be in tune with what is happening
PRECISION – watch and adjust, do things (like go to the store) at the correct time, be very precise with your personal hygiene.
PHRASING – realize that life is a series of ups and downs – breathe.

We will get through this. HOWEVER, the title of the march we last rehearsed is most appropriate – AMERCIANS WE. There is no way that We Americans will be defeated by this thing.

Stay well.  Check in on each other.  Let me know if there is anything you need.

Ken

No rehearsal. So now what?

Hi All,

  I hope you are all well and safely going about as much business as you can.  I keep returning to this post from Travis Cross - Director of Bands at UCLA:

I will be posting different ideas as we go along.  My thoughts to share with you today is all of your hard work this fall.  I have, for some reason, had time to post our fall concert on YouTube.  Take a moment to listen to the playlist and just enjoy how great you all sound.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZJlgbo109nMJHs5FNWKz1mETvJrSKQoh

Keep practicing.  I will be posting more ideas later.

Ken

Lux Aurumque lyrics

Hi All,
  Back to putting information on the blog.

Here are the lyrics for Lux Aurumque and how they line up in the score:

LUX AURUMQUE
English poem by Edward Esch
Latin translation by Charles Anthony Silvestri

Lux,                                                   Light,
calida gravisque                                warm and heavy
pura velut aurum                               as pure as gold
et canunt angeli                                 and the angels sing softly
molliter modo natum.                         to the newborn bane.


Measure  Text           Translation
1               Lux           Light
9               calida        warm
13             gravique    heavy
17             pura           pure
21             velut          as
23             aurum        gold
30             angeli        Angels
36             canunt        they sing
42             molliter      softly
44             natum         newborn
50             modo          ?way
52             natum         babe

Spring Concert

See you all on Tuesday

Rehearsal Reference 11/14

Molly on the Shore
  - at a really quick tempo

Rehearsal References

The Dancing Conductor

John Belushi light on his feet:

REHEARSAL CHANGE 11/7/17

TONIGHT'S REHEARSAL WILL BE AT 

BRISTOL EASTER HIGH SCHOOL

632 King Street, Bristol, CT 06010

Enter on the King Street Side.  Band room is near the parking lot.

Spring Program

PWE - Spring Concert 2018

 “30^th Anniversary Concert”

Commissioned Overture                               Scott Perkins

                                   

To the Summit!                                              Robert W. Smith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1c-CxAww08

Lux Aurumque                                              Eric Whitacre

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW1Hrpnf8i0

Illumination                                                   David Maslanka

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hC9aIFXBZTc

Intermission

Florentiner March                                        Julius Fucik

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XD4R5x4DfBw

A Hymn to the Beauty that Was                  Jane Russell Bate

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjRFAv33LQ0

Once more Unto the Breach                          Stephen Melillo

1.      At the Speed of Dark

2.      I Shall Hear in Heavan

3.      Once More Unto the Breach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM2Re1jlRlA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGoxrvXayLw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORCPHzOb9WU

First Rehearsal

Hi All,
  It's finally here.  Our first rehearsal.

Tuesday, 7:00 at Plainville High School.

We will run the program and also talk about out trip to Buffalo in the spring.  What an exciting year we have ahead.

See you on Tuesday.

Ken

Buffalo Here We Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fall Program

Hi All,
  I can't begin to tell how excited I am for the upcoming Season.  This is going to be a great year.  Below is the program for our Fall concert.  Be on the look out for an email from Kathie that will have all of the dates and details.

Ken

PWE - Fall Concert 2017

Americana Fantasies

Star Spangled Banner (1’53”)                                                                             John Stafford Smith

                                                                                                                                    Arr. Igor Stravinski

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1taQl-wOmo                       Transcribed for Band by Ken Bagley

Armed Forces Salute (4’59”)                                                                                    arr.  Bob Lowden

                                                                                                                                   

Festival Overture on the American National Aire “The Star Spangled Banner” (6’48”)                                                                                                                                                              Dudley Buck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvh9Gh3nHw0                                       

Appalachian Morning  (3’55”)                                                                                    Robert Sheldon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Tx0H0BmUk                                       

Suite of Old American Dances                                                                        Robert Russell Bennett

I.         Cake Walk (4’04”)                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buXqgk2-mu4

II.        Schottische (2’57”)                https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNxNawFHCN4
III.      Western One-Step (3’36”)    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oyGiQyLb0w

V.         Rag (3’56)                              https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AryADId85Y4

                                                                                                                       

Intermission

Fantasy on Yankee Doodle (6’48)                                                                                Mark Williams

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1-XRt1Yu-Q                                         

Americana Folk Suite                                                                                                      Barry Kopetz

I.                   The Young Man who Wouldn’t Hoe Corn (1’28”)

II.                Sweet Nelly (2’58”)

III.             The Little Old Sod Shanty (1’47”)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsVM7_2XNVY                                    

Variations on “America” (7’33”)                                                                                      Charles Ives

                                                                                                                        

Videos starting to appear on YouTube

Hi All,
  Check out the new PWE YouTube Channel.  Strong to Save and the Video concert are now posted.  More to come.

Ken



https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKutu0mLHtCYijsg8Rc_rHQ/videos

Just saying - Looking forward to our first rehearsal

Norton Park Concert CANCELLED

Hi All,
  Mother Nature has done it again.  Because of the wet and Cold we will not have our concert tonight.  Please make sure you will be at rehearsal next week.  Time away from this music makes us vulnerable to careless mistakes.  See you on the 13th and then on the 24th.

Thanks
Ken

5/30 Rehearsal Moved

Due to an event at the High School tonight, we have been moved to the Middle school on Northwest drive. Please park in the back and enter through the cafe doors. If you know of someone who may not get this notice, please call them!

Please bring your stands!!!!!       -k- 

Winding down and Winding up at the same time

Hi All,
  Now that our spring concert is done (Congrats again by the way) we can relax and gear up for Norton Park and Simsbury concerts.  Below is our schedule moving forward:

May
  16th - Rehearsal @ PHS
  23rd - Rehearsal @ PHS
  30th - Rehearsal @ PHS

June
  6th - Norton Park Concert
  13th - Rehearsal @ PHS
  20th - No Rehearsal
  24th - Simsbury Band Festival

Great Concert!!!!

HI All,
  Thank you for a great concert last night.  What a joy it is to get to make music like that.  Special Kudos to Maureen for her performance of the poems.  That added a nice touch to our performance.  We have this week off, but will continue rehearsals next week to prepare for Norton Park and the Simsbury band festival.

Thanks for all of your hard work,
Ken

Dress Rehearsal - 5/2/17

Hi All,
  It's concert time.  I know everybody is getting busy with life, but please make every effort to be on time to rehearsal on Tuesday night.  We will run the full concert including the poems.

Ken

Rehearsal 4/4

HI All,
  Plan for Tuesday night is a full concert run:

Canticle of the Creatures I - Prologue                                                 

Canticle of the Creatures II – Brother Sun                                            

Sunrise at Angels Gate                                                            

Sundance

Into the Sunset     
    

      Intermission

Canticle of the Creatures III – Sister Moon and Stars 

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night                      

Dusk                                                                              
A Night on Bald Mountain                            

Canticle of the Creatures VI – Epilogue               

  Please make every effort to attend our last few rehearsals.  Only 4 more rehearsals left.  The concert is May7th.

See you Tuesday.
Ken

Rehearsal thought for the next few weeks

HI All,

  Mother Nature willing, we will have regular rehearsals over the next few weeks.  With that, there are a couple special things I would like to do:

3/21 - Toward the end of rehearsal I would like to work with the solo/soli ists in the following:

     - Canticle III - Howard, SHaron, Wes, Laura, Amy, Nancy, Maureen, Donna - measures 2 and 38

     - Sunrise - Brooke, Laura, Amy, Lola, Piccolo?, Flute 2? - Measures 1-32 and 121-

     - Do Not G0... - Lola, Nancy, Robert, Laura - Measures 161-

     - Night on Bald Mt. - FLutes, CLarinets, Oboes, Bassoons, - Ending

3/28 - I will work with percussion after rehearsal till 10:00

4/4 - We will run the full concert.

  Keep practicing and I'll see you all on Tuesday.

Ken