WATERCOLORS PREMIERE
(if you have a slow connection, be patient! There are a LOT of photos in this one!)
Saturday was the big day -- starting with the honor band rehearsal at 9:00 AM. More than EIGHTY of the best musicians from Huffines, Lamar, Durham, and McKamy Middle schools were here...
Alan Hanna warmed up the band, and got everyone's blood going with a runthrough of Echoes of Sun and Ice...
These students were not used to playing together, but all the best ingredients make for some excellent results...
The trumpets and horns were excellent -- great blend within their sections, and they balanced with the ensemble perfectly. (Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the trombones, but they were AMAZING during Echoes...!)
Bryan Edwards conducted a very moving version of Moon over Twilight Lake...
Kathy Johnson and I discuss Raindrops Hang on a Spider's Web, which she was conducting during rehearsal and at the performance that evening...
Dr. Danna Rothlisberger conducted Cast Adrift on a Stormy Sea -- this piece needed a little tweakage, but Dr. R and the entire band took on these changes with no fuss at all, and once everything was explained, no one ever slipped up and forgot about what we'd changed...
And Asa Burk conducted Reflections in a Tidal Pool. His interpretation and the band's responsiveness made for some stunningly beautiful music-making. By the end of the rehearsal, there was no question in my mind that this was going to be a beautiful premiere...
But I had no idea how beautiful it would be -- I still hadn't seen the performance space. Murchison Center for the Performing Arts is an AMAZING hall -- not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but it sounds great too. You can hear EVERYTHING, and there was a wonderful, warm reverb that filled out the sound of the ensemble. I want every premiere of every piece I write to be performed here. I want my children to be born and raised here. I want to be BURIED here! Here's a shot I took during the soundcheck...
I managed to sneak into the balconies and took this one...
And here's one from the choir loft behind the stage...
(l. to r.)Asa Burk, Bryan Edwards, me, Kathy Johnson, Dr. Danna Rothlisberger, and Alan Hanna...
The musicians played very, very well, and concert was very well received. If having a successful premiere in an amazing hall wasn't enough of an honor, the mayors of Flower Mound and Lewisville signed this proclamation for my work on WATERCOLORS...
The audience and the ensemble were very complimentary, and I shook a lot of hands and signed a lot of autographs. I got a little carried away, and even ended up signing this tortilla at the Mexican restaurant we went to after the concert!
A very special thanks to Asa Burk, Alan Hanna, Kathy Johnson, Bryan Edwards, Dr. Danna Rothlisberger, and all the students at Huffines, Lamar, Durham, and McKamy Middle schools -- THANKS FOR HOSTING SUCH AN EXCELLENT VISIT, AND PERFORMING SUCH A WONDERFUL PREMIERE!!!
Saturday was the big day -- starting with the honor band rehearsal at 9:00 AM. More than EIGHTY of the best musicians from Huffines, Lamar, Durham, and McKamy Middle schools were here...
Alan Hanna warmed up the band, and got everyone's blood going with a runthrough of Echoes of Sun and Ice...
These students were not used to playing together, but all the best ingredients make for some excellent results...
The trumpets and horns were excellent -- great blend within their sections, and they balanced with the ensemble perfectly. (Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of the trombones, but they were AMAZING during Echoes...!)
Bryan Edwards conducted a very moving version of Moon over Twilight Lake...
Kathy Johnson and I discuss Raindrops Hang on a Spider's Web, which she was conducting during rehearsal and at the performance that evening...
Dr. Danna Rothlisberger conducted Cast Adrift on a Stormy Sea -- this piece needed a little tweakage, but Dr. R and the entire band took on these changes with no fuss at all, and once everything was explained, no one ever slipped up and forgot about what we'd changed...
And Asa Burk conducted Reflections in a Tidal Pool. His interpretation and the band's responsiveness made for some stunningly beautiful music-making. By the end of the rehearsal, there was no question in my mind that this was going to be a beautiful premiere...
But I had no idea how beautiful it would be -- I still hadn't seen the performance space. Murchison Center for the Performing Arts is an AMAZING hall -- not only is it absolutely gorgeous, but it sounds great too. You can hear EVERYTHING, and there was a wonderful, warm reverb that filled out the sound of the ensemble. I want every premiere of every piece I write to be performed here. I want my children to be born and raised here. I want to be BURIED here! Here's a shot I took during the soundcheck...
I managed to sneak into the balconies and took this one...
And here's one from the choir loft behind the stage...
(l. to r.)Asa Burk, Bryan Edwards, me, Kathy Johnson, Dr. Danna Rothlisberger, and Alan Hanna...
The musicians played very, very well, and concert was very well received. If having a successful premiere in an amazing hall wasn't enough of an honor, the mayors of Flower Mound and Lewisville signed this proclamation for my work on WATERCOLORS...
The audience and the ensemble were very complimentary, and I shook a lot of hands and signed a lot of autographs. I got a little carried away, and even ended up signing this tortilla at the Mexican restaurant we went to after the concert!
A very special thanks to Asa Burk, Alan Hanna, Kathy Johnson, Bryan Edwards, Dr. Danna Rothlisberger, and all the students at Huffines, Lamar, Durham, and McKamy Middle schools -- THANKS FOR HOSTING SUCH AN EXCELLENT VISIT, AND PERFORMING SUCH A WONDERFUL PREMIERE!!!
3 Comments:
Man, that sounds like a great trip. Congrats on the premiere! I can't wait to hear the entire piece, after reading about it here for so long. Newman was raving about it -- and he's only seen the score!
And that hall looks fantastic. Middle school honor bands get to play in halls that nice?! Texas goes a little nuts for band...
Glad you got to see Murchison....it's an AMAZING space. And also, the first place I ever heard a Steven Bryant piece :)
Congrats - sounds like a great week!
Murchison sounds great - that's where UNT did the Stampede recording. Didn't realize you'd been up at my old stomping grounds!
Can't wait to hear the piece!
Post a Comment
<< Home