Ecstatic Waters across the Midwest
Last night, the Ohio State Symphonic Band under Rick Blatti gave a great (by all accounts I’ve heard) performance of Ecstatic Waters. I heard the dress rehearsal on Tuesday, which was fantastic, not just because they played the piece well, but because this is the first time I’ve ever been able to sit and listen to the entire work live without pressing buttons on the laptop. Big thanks to Pete Tender and Rich Clark for running the electronics, to Rick Blatti for being a part of the consortium and putting the whole thing together (literally – see Mahler Hammer below), and the band for working so hard on the music!
I wasn’t able to be there because I’m doing the piece with the St. Charles East HS Wind Ensemble tonight. We had a good rehearsal this morning, despite me missing one of the cues (they kept going and did just fine, but a stressful few moments!). They’ve also programmed my Dusk, and Jonathan Newman’s Avenue X, which they also commissioned a few years ago. Director Jim Kull is one of the biggest BCM supporters out there!
Wish us luck tonight, and come to the concert if you’re in the suburbs of western Chicago: 7:30pm, St. Charles East High School!
Rich and Pete running the laptop at OSU
Mahler Hammer, custom built by Rick Blatti. This was the second incarnation. The first was apparently smashed through in a prior rehearsal…