Brassfest in Dallas
This past week Anne and I traveled to Dallas, Texas for the Dallas Wind Symphony concert and the North American premiere of my Fanfare for Enduring Freedom . There was confusion leading up to the performance in that I heard the DWS staff had asked an associate conductor of the US Army Field Band to conduct the piece, and the associate conductors of the Field Band were telling me I should! I brought my baton, just in case... As it turned out, I did conduct it, and it was an unforgettable experience. The night before the concert, there was a rehearsal to go over the combined pieces (DWS and Field Band) and the fanfare. The brass choir was comprised of both groups as well--forty players. After the rehearsal, one of the Dallas trombones said that he thought the piece would be the "best ever." The DWS has been playing fanfares before their concerts for nearly ten years now, but they are played in the foyer of the Meyerson Symphony Center where the acoustics are extremely live. T...