Notes from the Concord Band

Since 1959	P.O. Box 302, Concord MA 01742 978-897-9969 www.concordband.org	Fall 2006

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Fall Concert

Concord Band to Premiere New Del Borgo Commission on Saturday, October 28th

The Concord Band will open its 2006-2007 season at 51 Walden Street in Concord on Saturday, October 28, 2006 beginning at 8:00 p.m. This season, Music Director Dr. William G. McManus is planning to feature the music of two contemporary American composers — Elliot Del Borgo and W. Francis McBeth. In this concert, the Concord Band is proud to perform the world premiere of Israeli Folk Suite, a new composition by Elliot Del Borgo that was commissioned for the Band by Elliot and Bette Finkelstein in honor of Elliot's 70th birthday. Elliot plays bass clarinet in the Concord Band.

The concert will open with Majestic March, a magnificent concert march by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. This composition was transcribed for concert band by William H. Silvester, who guest conducted the Concord Band in 2003. Assistant Conductor Paul Berler will take the podium to conduct Psalm for Band, one of Vincent Persichetti's early works in the band idiom. To close the first half of the concert, Music Director William McManus will conduct W. Francis McBeth's Of Sailors and Whales, a five-movement descriptive suite for concert band based on Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

The second half of the concert will feature the music of composer Elliot Del Borgo. To open, Music Director McManus will conduct Del Borgo's Slavonic Dances, an exciting work based on five authentic Slavonic folk tunes. Paul Berler will take the podium again to conduct Del Borgo's New England Suite. The composer's beautiful setting of Intermezzo Sinfonico from Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana will be conducted by Bill McManus. To close the concert, composer Elliot Del Borgo will conduct the world premiere of his newest composition, Israeli Folk Suite. The Concord Band is honored to have one of America's finest composers premiere his newest work at 51 Walden Street.

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Meet Elliot Del Borgo, Commission Composer

The Concord Band is honored to welcome the eminent composer Elliot Del Borgo to its 2006 Fall Concert. Born in Port Chester, New York, Del Borgo holds a B.S. degree from the State University of New York, an Ed.M. degree from Temple University, and an M.M. degree from the Philadelphia Conservatory where he studied theory and composition with Vincent Persichetti and trumpet with Gilbert Johnson. In 1973, he was granted the doctoral equivalency by the State University of New York, and was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association in 1993. Mr. Del Borgo has taught instrumental music in the Philadelphia public schools and served as Professor of Music at the Crane School of Music (SUNY Potsdam). An award-winning member of ASCAP, he is widely known as a conductor, and is also a frequent clinician, lecturer and adjudicator. Surprisingly, the four Del Borgo pieces to be played by the Concord Band on October 28th are the first works by this composer the Band has ever played.

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Lifetime Service Award in Memory of Jeremy Welts

In 2002, the Concord Band Board of Trustees introduced the Lifetime Service Award to honor individuals whose participation, over a significant span of time, has made a fundamental difference to the Concord Band. An Honor Roll has been created and is displayed prominently in the 51 Walden lobby to keep these individuals in our collective long-term memory. Past Award recipients have been Bill Burdine and William Toland (2002), Carl Getz and Robert Turkington (2003), Gene Parish and William R. Phelan (2004) and Ed Richter and Bill Siebert (2005). On October 28, 2006, the Concord Band Lifetime Service Award will be given in memory of Jeremy Welts. His Award plaque will read as follows:

From 1963 until 2000, Jerry Welts was what music directors hope for: outstanding musician, mentor to younger players, selfless section leader and effective Board member. Bill Toland, Music Director during most of Jerry's time with the Band, recalls that Jerry's trombonists were rotated among parts to keep playing interesting for all of them, but always so that an appropriate player was assigned to each part. For a number of years, Jerry took responsibility for lugging and setting up the Band's very heavy sound system. He also arranged Trombumba/Bossa for trombone choir and band, performed in 1998. We are pleased to honor the memory of Jeremy Welts for his many contributions to the Concord Band.

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The Case of the Custom Equipment Cabinets Crafted by Cadet Carpenters

Percussionists need playing surfaces and easy access to sticks and small instruments — even during concerts when one of them suddenly realizes that he is going to have to hit a wood block in 10 seconds and it's still in the cabinet. With these requirements and experiences in mind, Dr. Daniel S. Diamond, who joined the Concord Band in January 1970, began to record — exactly 35 years later — his ideas of what a combination percussion cabinet/trap table that would meet the needs of the Concord Band percussion section would look like.

ZSince 1975, when the Band had made 51 Walden its permanent home, its percussion section had been using a cabinet modified from a Sears kitchen cabinet kit. Concord Band audiences may recall it as the black cabinet with the purple shag carpet on top.

The result of Dan's design exercise was a set of drawings for two cabinets (identical, except that one contained a storage compartment for suspended cymbals and an attached adjustable-height stand for hanging them to be played). One of the design requirements for the two new cabinets was that they take up, together, the same floor space as the old kitchen cabinet so that they would fit in the same place in the percussion closet.

Dan, who happens to be Fundrasing Chairman of the Band, knew that the Band Board had not budgeted for percussion cabinets, never mind custom-built models. Nevertheless, he decided to show the drawings to the Board. He had no idea, he said, how much they would cost or how to get them built. "I'll bet Minuteman High," said Board member Gina DePaoli, a music teacher in Waltham, "will build them at cost, since we're a nonprofit."

The next step, in February 2005, was to estimate the materials cost of the new cabinets and to contact carpentry shop instructor Brian Ehle at the Minuteman Regional High School of Applied Arts and Sciences. Upon reviewing the drawings, Mr. Ehle indicated that these cabinets would be a good project for his students, giving them a real-world opportunity to learn a number of necessary carpentry skills associated with making all kinds of cabinets that they are sure to encounter frequently in the future. They could take the project on in the 2005-2006 school year. Because the materials cost was manageable, the Board approved the budget. A year and a half later, the new cabinets were ready for use.

The project also benefited Minuteman students in another way. Funds paid to the school to reimburse lumber costs sent two top carpentry students, one of whom was very involved in the Band project, to the state finals of the USA Skills Competition.

Although the Concord Band was able to obtain these wonderful percussion cabinets/trap tables at a fraction of what they would have cost commerically, it still costs about $40,000 a year to run the Band. If you'd like to help out financially, please write a check to The Concord Band and mail it in the enclosed envelope. If you have no return envelope, simply send your check to the address at the top of this newsletter.

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Enjoy the Concord Band on CD!

Available in a box in the 51 Walden lobby during the Fall Concert will be an order form for a CD of that evening's concert. Those who would like a CD of the October 28th concert will be asked to complete the order form and either return it to the box in the lobby or mail it in after the concert. The prepaid price of $15 per CD includes shipping and handling. Payments must be received by November 13th. It is anticipated that the CDs will be mailed in early December.

The Concord Band has also published three CDs, which can be ordered by mail at $15 each, including shipping. Specify the name of the recording you'd like: A Winter Festival (featuring music for the winter season, including the premiere performance of Curnow's Overture to a Winter Festival), The Best of the Concord Band in Concert: 1992-1994, and The Concord Band Salutes America (featuring American patriotic music by Bagley, Berlin, Cohan, Meacham, Nestico and Sousa, among others).

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It's Time to Make Your Concord Band Holiday Pops Reservations

Be sure to use the reservation card enclosed with this mailing to make your reservations early for the Concord Band's annual Holiday Pops concerts, to be held at 51 Walden on December 8th and 9th at 8:00 PM.

There's no better way to celebrate the holiday season than to enjoy an evening of great music and fun in the festive 51 Walden holiday atmosphere! Holiday Pops with the Concord Band has become a tradition with many area families and sells out early. Plan a great evening out with your family, friends, neighbors ... and the Concord Band. Seating at tables for four is priced at $20 per adult; $15 per child, 12 and under, including beverages and snacks. Return your reservation card today! Reservations can also be made by calling 978-897-9969.

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Calendar of Upcoming Events

Concerts will be held at 51 Walden, Concord, at 8:00pm.

FALL CONCERT

Saturday, October 28th

HOLIDAY POPS

Friday and Saturday, December 8th and 9th
for reservations, call 978-897-9969

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