A miserable night outside made for a warm and fun rehearsal.
Pacem
We are getting on top of this chart for sure, but the key lies in the dynamic changes – we tend to get too big, too fast and not allow room for some of the finer changes that need to come. Keep it under control, and allow the beauty of the moving phrases to emerge.
Oregon
Moving through the last phases of this piece still shows that there is more work needed in the upper winds across the florid presto sections, and the balance of the question-and-answer at letter Q needs tightening, however overall, the work is progressing well.
Tales of the Sea
We are 99% on top of this, just the occasional missed sharp or unclear entry – Remember, this is a simple chart, so play it simply. Allowing the melody to come through and balance with the harmonic parts.
Gershwin, Oliver
It was nice to revisit these pieces after a long break and discover just how far we have grown as players – I remember the first time we played Gershwin, I thought we would never play it yet we breezed through it last night.
Salute to American Jazz
The hard part lies in the “Night in Tunisia” – phrasing of the triplets starts in three, but then is carefully written as groups of two to add emphasis. Added to that is the rising bass line that occurs on the and of the second beat – we always tend to anticipate that, then not leave a beat rest at the end of the bar, causing it to come in early.
Murray