SUWO's Blog: Week 12 Rehearsal

"Music makes the people come together,

Music mix the bourgeoisie and the rebel."

...yeah I don't get what that means either. But it's a quote with the word 'music' in it from a Madonna song now stuck deep in the head of this SUWO blog-artist.

So, after several weeks' hiatus due to Metropolis and the Music Ball, both of which were attended and enjoyed by many (I will assume, since some of us were as lacking in the 35 pounds necessary to attend the music ball at the time as they currently are in a laptop that has a pound sign key).

There was a rehearsal in the midst of all of this, in Week 10. Allow me to summarise the happenings of that rehearsal now:

SUWO: tootle tootle honk honk bang bang
Tony: *flail flail flail, then* I'm going to sit these next few out. Gareth and George, you're up.
Gareth: Fabulous! *gets out especially pointy custom-made conductor's baton* *points*
SUWO: tootle tootle honk honk bang bang
Gareth: Unfortunately during my pointing escapades I've accidentally pointed myself a few times, so George, you're it.
George: Equally fabulous! *hops onto podium and gets out specially made extremely fast conductor's baton*
SUWO: O.o
George: So this piece, "Overture to Candide", is kind of brisk and has lots of fiddly bits, so we're going to start off slow to get you slowpokes warmed up for it.
SUWO: *collective sigh of relief*
George: So here we go. *...flailflailflailflailflailflailflail!!!*
SUWO: Oh sweet bejebus! *collective putting away of phones and picking up of instruments, because 50 bars rest is not going to last us long*
SUWO: tootletootlehonkhonkbangCLASH!!
George: wot.
Gareth (now in Percussion): Yeah it's just that when I have to change instruments it's a bit like this. *demonstrates hastily throwing down whatever piece of percussion at hand, running to the crash cymbals and crashing them before the speed of his instrument change causes him to fall over*
...and the rest.

And that brings us nicely to this week's rehearsal! With tour only being a few weeks away and most of us having exams right up until tour begins, the fates decided that now would be the perfect time to give SUWO a bunch of other concert commitments beforehand. On today's agenda: rehearsing for a bandstand concert at Weston Park on Sunday (from 3-4pm 100% free lots of great bands performing get there early to get good seats).

These are some of the pieces that are going to sound slightly more recently rehearsed than the others.

- The Godfather Saga, by Nino Rota and Carmen Coppola, featuring some boss solo trumpet work by Ben Hoblyn

- Vintage, a piece for solo euphonium and the other members of a wind orchestra if they so choose, by David R. Gillingham and featuring Austin (Powers) Castaneda on eupho.

- Colonial Song by absolute legend incarnate (and he didn't even have to be Australian to be such a legend, although that certainly helped) Percy Aldridge Grainger, conducted by His Equally Gingeryness, George Mistoffelees Morton.

- Concertante for Flute, Oboe and Band by Ignace Moscheles, arranged and conducted by one Mr Anthony Morton, and featuring the lovely duo of Hannah Lewin on oboe and David Bramall on flute.

And now for your viewing pleasure, I present photos and a video!