Happy Holidays Everyone!!

With colored lights shining brightly on many homes and trees, to parties with family and friends, the atmosphere of many people shopping and spreading holiday cheer, Christmas time is my favorite time of year.  I have many fond memories growing up and spending the holidays basking in the glow of it's wonder as well as listening and playing it's music. This year is no exception. Even though it has been a rough two years, I am still caught up in the magic that makes this time of year special and I always look forward to the next year with hope.  Here are a few of my favorite Christmas tunes and I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!!

Who Is Mario Lanza?

When I was growing up during the holidays, my family and I would always play Christmas music in our house. Not only did my sister, brother and myself play Christmas carols on our instruments, we also had Christmas music playing on the radio, cassette tape and vinyl record players as well. One of our favorite holiday recordings was a record of Mario Lanza singing Hymns and Christmas Carols. From the gorgeous majestic sound of the Horn section introducing the opening song, Joy To The World, to the awe inspiring version of O Holy Night, it had become an annual family tradition.

Who is Mario Lanza? American singer, actor  Mario Lanza was one of the most famous operatic tenors of the 1940's and 1950's. He was born  Alfredo Arnold Cocozza to Italian immigrants and changed his name when he signed to the movie studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM for short) in 1947. He was discovered by  Louis B. Mayer when he heard Lanza perform at the Hollywood Bowl and was impressed by his singing. After signing with MGM, Lanza played the role of Pinkerton in Puccini's Madam Butterfly in New Orleans in 1948, In 1949, he appeared in his first movie,  That Midnight Kiss with Kathryn Grayson and Ethel Barrymore. In 1950, he appeared in another movie, The  Toast of New Orleans that featured his first million-selling hit Be My Love. Lanza also had the opportunity to play his singing idol Enrico Caruso the following year in the movie The Great Caruso.

His final millionth selling song, Because You're Mine, was actually a title song for his next film and it received an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Even though his singing career was a success, Mario Lanza suffered from addictions to both food and alcohol while filming his movies. These addictions had an adverse affect on his health, relationships with directors, producers and, occasionally, other cast members. He was known as an individual who was ambitious, rebellious and tough. However, we went on to in three more films before dying of a pulmonary embolism at age 38. By the time of his death he was known as the most famous tenor in the world.

Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed

One of the most favorite band music compositions of all time is a piece called "Russian Christmas Music" composed by American band composer Alfred Reed. Even though the piece of music is very Russian in it's melodies and harmonies, it is not a Russian piece technically. Reed was commissioned to write a so called "Russian" piece for a concert in Denver Colorado to improve American Soviet relations. Russian Christmas Music premiered on December 12, 1944, on nationally-broadcast NBC radio. It is performed today by brass bands, wind ensembles, orchestras, marching bands and drum and bugle corps.

Performed as though it is in one movement, Russian Christmas music has 4 different sections that include Carol of the Little Russian Children (based on a 16th century Russian Christmas carol), The Antiphonal Chant, The Village Song and The Cathedral Chorus.

Looking to buy Russian Christmas Music for your band or orchestra? Click on any of the links below!

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Russian Christmas Music By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). Concert Band. Concert Band. Classic Band. Christmas; Multicultural; Winter. Grade 5. Conductor Score. 44 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.FXB219C) (2) ...more info

Russian Christmas Music: Score By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). For Concert Band. Instructional. Score. 44 pages. Published by Alfred Music - Digital Sheet Music (AX.00-PR-0002349) ...more info

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Russian Christmas Music By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). Orchestra. Full Orchestra. Pop Concert Full Orchestra. Christmas; Multicultural; Winter. Grade 3.5. Conductor Score & Parts. 390 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.FXG106) ...more info

A Tribute to Alfred Reed By College of New Jersey Wind Ensemble. By Alfred Reed (1921-2005). For wind ensemble. Mark Masters. Classical. Audio CD. Duration 79:21. Published by Mark Custom Music (MK.3712-MCD) ...more info

Amahl And The Night Visitors

Amahl And The Night Visitors is a 20th century opera written by Italian-American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti. It was commissioned by the American television network NBC and it premiered on December 24 (Christmas Eve) 1951 and it was the first made for television opera.

The opera takes place near Bethlehem just after the birth of Jesus Christ and it tells a story of a young boy by the name of Amahl. Amahl is a disabled boy who uses a crutch to walk and who also has a very vivid imagination. This imagination was made apparent through the tall tales and occasional lies that he would tell. One evening, after his mother call him in, he tells her of an amazing star that was "as big as a window" that he has seen when he was out playing his shepherd's pipe.  Later that night, his mother, distressed over his son's condition, prays that Amahl will not become a beggar and after going to bed, there is a knock on their door. Amahl's mother tells him to answer it and upon opening the door, he sees the Three Wise Men. The Three Wise Men tell them that they are on a long journey to give gifts to a wondrous child and they would like to rest at their house. Amahl's mother takes them in for the night and goes out to fetch more firewood. While she was out, Amahl decides to speak to the wise men and  King Balthazar answers the young boy's questions. The king then asked what Amahl does and Amahl answered that he was once a shepherd but his mother had to sell the sheep. Unfortunately, this led to both him and his mother to beg. Amahl starts a conversation with King Kaspar, who was hard of hearing, eccentric and childlike. Kaspar shows him a box of magic stones, beads, and licorice, and offers Amahl some of the candy. The mother returns and tells Amahl to go and invite the neighbors over so the kings could be properly entertained.

Once the neighbors went home and the kings went to bed, Amahl's mother decided to steal some of the kings treasures that were meant for Jesus. She gets caught by the kings' page and Amahl was wakened by the confrontation. In defense of his mother, Amahl attacks the page. Realizing the need for the gold and Amahl's condition, King Melchior decided to let the mother keep the gold knowing that Jesus himself would not need earthly power or wealth to build His kingdom. However, the mother decides to give back the gold anyway because she has waited all her life for such a king and she wished that she could give a gift herself. Amahl decided to give his crutch to the kings as a gift for Jesus and is miraculously healed. With the permission of his mother, Amahl goes on the journey with the Wise Men to see the newborn King.

See a presentation of Amahl And The Night Visitors on December 8, 2012 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm at The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Center of Coeur d'Alene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The cast will include  Quincy McFaul as Amahl, Patty Mortier as the mother, Steve Mortier, Tim Campbell, John Frankhauser as the Three Kings, and the St. George's Chamber Choir. Members of the Coeur d'Alene Symphony comprise the live chamber orchestra.  Tickets are $20.00 for Adults, $15.00 for Seniors and $8.00 for Youth or Students with I.D. 

Looking for Sheet Music For Amahl And The Night Visitors? Click On The Selections Below.

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Amahl And The Night Visitors - Vocal Score (Vocal Score). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Piano, Vocal (Score). Vocal Score. 20th Century, Broadway and Christmas. Difficulty: medium. Vocal score. Choral notation, piano reduction and introductory text. 65 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2039. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50337790) ...more info

Amahl and the Night Visitors (Libretto). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Vocal. Opera. 36 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2042. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50340010) (1) ...more info

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Amahl and the Night Visitors (Chorus Parts). By Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-). For Chorus, Orchestra, Piano, Vocal (SATB). Opera. 16 pages. G. Schirmer #ED2047. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50337800) (1) ...more info

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Procession Of The Nobles (aka. Cortège from the opera Mlada)

If you have a strong Horn section in your concert band, wind ensemble or orchestra, one of the best pieces in which to showcase them is called Procession Of The Nobles, aka. Cortège from the opera Mlada.

Written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Mlada was first produced in 1892 and it was rather unique in form in that it was half ballet and half opera along with a complex libretto. The opera takes place a thousand years ago in an imaginary kingdom called Retra on the shores of the Baltic Sea. Princess Mlada, who the opera was named after and a role that is danced rather than sung, was murdered by a rival called Voyslava. Voyslava was out to win the love of Mlada's lover Yaromir. The production takes the audience through several twists and turns that involve evil spirits, magic and even a trip to the underworld. The village is eventually submerged by an overflowing lake and Mlada and Yaromir ascend on a rainbow.

Mlada was unsuccessful as an opera; however, the Cortège, known as Procession Of The Nobles that served as the introduction to Act II of the opera, became a very successful stand alone piece. Performed by concert bands, wind ensembles, brass ensembles and orchestras alike, Procession Of The Nobles was also used between 1957 and 1969 as the opening theme for the UK TV program "What the Papers Say" and the theme for a PBS public affairs program called Inside Washington.

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Procession Of The Nobles (Opera Mlada) By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Sip. Concert Band. Swiss import. Grade 4+. Score and parts. Published by Editions Marc Reift (MA.EMR-10108) (1) ...more info

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Procession of the Nobles By Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908). Arranged by Craig Kaucher. For horn quartet. Quartet music. Published by Cimarron Music Press (BV.1437) ...more info

A Word About A Tear By Modest Mussorgsky

Being an innovator of Russian music, Modest Mussorksky was one of the famous composers of the Romantic Era known as "the five". This group had a purpose of  producing a specifically Russian kind of art music, rather than one that imitated older European music or relied on European-style conservatory training.  Known to be weak in orchestration, his works were often revised by other composers; one such famous piece is the epic "Pictures At An Exhibition". Originally a work for piano, this composition was orchestrated by French composer Maurice Ravel.

 Composed in 1880, A Tear is a late piano work of Mussorgsky's that is very simple, yet pretty. Described by some as "dull and uninteresting", perhaps the piece itself is a reflection of what was going on in Mussorgsky's life at that moment. Short in duration, it starts with a sad, yet beautiful melody that leads the listeners to a recollection of a somewhat happier time in the middle section. However, this section does not last long as it soon goes back to it heartbreaking conclusion. In 1880, Mussorgsky was suffering from alcoholism and it's consequences while he was living out the last year of his life. Because of his addiction, he suffered a very steep decline musically. The deaths of his closest associates plus the dismissal from government service only magnified his deep emotional pain.

 Arranged for Horn and Piano by Eric Hanson, A Tear is simple piece that is appropriate for an intermediate player. With the level of grade 3, it is gentle, short and free of any kind of technical challenges. However, it could be used as a tool to teach expression; such as telling a story through ones playing as well as phrasing. It is also easy in the range as well as a key change in the middle "happier times" section.

 As I have mentioned earlier, some may find the piece a little boring; however, I slightly disagree. Interpretation of the work itself can either make or break it, so expression is key to keep it from being boring. It is one of the pieces that tells a story whether Modest Mussorgsky meant for it to be or not.


You can Find A Tear, as well as other great Intermediate Horn Solos in this Book, Just click on the link below.

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Intermediate French Horn Solos, Vol. IV (Dale Clevenger) For french horn. Instrumental Solo Part and CD. Published by Music Minus One (MO.MMOCD3519) ...more info

Coming Home,Starting Over and Moving On.

I know it has been awhile since my last post. We have sold our house and moved to Spokane Valley, Washington (USA) in a section called Veradale. To me it is like coming home again because I grew up here. In fact, the high school I went to is just down the road. :)  Veradale still has that feeling of a small town; the feeling of home where you feel safe and it is relatively quiet even though the street nearby is quite busy.  Even though things have been built up in this area, I still have many fond memories and I feel that it is good for me to once again remind myself of who I am and where I came from. Those are two things that nothing or no one will ever take from me because they mean so much. I hope to return to this blog soon to post more once  we get settled. :)

Forever Scotland - Coeur d'Alene Press: Entertainment

Forever Scotland - Coeur d'Alene Press: Entertainment: The Coeur d'Alene Symphony will open its 2012/13 season with a Celtic flavored concert,

Andy Williams(December 3, 1927- September 25, 2012)

Andy Williams, an American singer who recorded 18 gold, three platinum albums and five Grammy nominations as well as having his own variety show from 1962-1971, died of bladder cancer September 25, 2012. He also owned a theater in Branson, Missouri that was named after his signature song, Moon River. In the 1960s, he had a middle American, Establishment appeal that was different from the counterculture movement at the time and was also known for his easy listening style. He remained on the charts thoughout the 1970s and had several television specials during the Holidays. He was also known for his famous Christmas time "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" and for singing the theme song for Oscar winning tear jerker, "Love Story. He was 84 years old.

Scottish Fantasy By Max Bruch: A Coeur d'Alene Symphony Concert Preview

In the winter of 1879-1880, composer Max Bruch composed a four movement composition for violin and orchestra called Scottish Fantasy. Dedicated to virtuoso violinist Pablo de Sarasate, this composition is a fantasy piece based on Scottish folk songs "I'm A' Doun for Lack O' Johnnie", "The Dusty Miller", "Through the Wood Laddie" and "Hey Tuttie Tatie". Even though it was dedicated to Sarasate, Hungarian violinist Joseph Joachim, who was also a conductor, teacher and composer, helped Bruch with the bowing and fingerings of the solo part of the Scottish Fantasy.

Scottish Fantasy premiered in Liverpool, England in 1881 with Bruch leading the Liverpool Philharmonic Society and Joachim as the soloist. Unfortunately, Bruch disliked Joachim's performance saying that the violinist ruined his work. The piece was performed once again in 1883 with Sarasate as the soloist.

A few other well known violinists that have performed the Scottish Fantasy include Itzhak Perlman, Rachel Barton Pine, Akiko Suwanai, Cho-Liang Lin and Jascha Heifetz (shown here)

Come and listen to the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Orchestra as they play Bruch's Scottish Fantasy with concertmaster and assistant conductor Phillip Baldwin on violin in a Scottish themed concert titled Scotland Forever. This program will also include Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 (the Scottish Symphony) and Hebrides Overture and it will be at The Kroc Center in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on October 12th at 7:30 PM and again on October 13th at 2:00 PM.

Tickets are $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $8.00 for students with ID.

From A Horn Player's Perspective: Thoughts on Fiesta Del Pacifico by Roger Nixon

Being born and raised in the California towns of Tulare and Modesto, composer, musician and music educator Roger Nixon (1921-2009) was influenced by the rhythms and dances of the early settlers of his home state. This influence played prominent in his works and among those works is a piece called Fiesta del Pacifico. This piece is named after one of the several summer festivals that California holds annually to celebrate the state's Spanish heritage. Held in San Diego, Fiesta del Pacifico lasts for 12 days and it celebrates the early Spanish settlers of the state by featuring plays, parades, street dances and rodeos.

As a musical composition for wind ensemble/concert band, Fiesta del Pacifico is a good piece for an advanced high school or college band because of it's technical and rhythmic aspects. It must be noted that not only are there rhythmic challenges in the prominent time signature of 3/4, there are also meter changes as it occasionally goes to 5/8, 2/4, 8/8, 7/8, 6/8, 4/4 temporarily and unexpectedly throughout. A few other technical aspects to note include stopped horn figures in the french horn parts, grace notes and sixteenth notes figures that call for precision in the sections and the band itself. The tempo is mostly a spirited Allegro with a metronome marking of quarter note equals 138 with a brief waltz like section in the middle of it.

I would describe Fiesta del Pacifico as a piece that is colorful, rhythmic, high energy, fun and very busy. It is also a piece that one may think of as an old gem.

Fiesta del Pacifico By Roger Nixon (1921-). Full Score. Boosey & Hawkes Concert Band. 76 pages. Boosey & Hawkes #M051634026. Published by Boosey & Hawkes (HL.48006472) ...more info

Hebrides Overture by Felix Mendelssohn :A Coeur d'Alene Symphony Concert preview

Fingal's Cave is a sea cave that is located on an island called Staffa in the Hebrides archipelago located off the west coast of Scotland. It is formed from hexagonally jointed basalt columns within a Paleocene lava flow and the caves size and arched roof gives the natural atmosphere of a natural cathedral along with the sounds produced by the waves of the ocean.

Shortly after a tour of England, Felix Mendelssohn visited the Fingal's Cave in 1829 and was inspired by the echoes that were produced by it. With that inspiration, a famous piece was born that was named after the cave, Hebrides Overture (aka, Fingal's Cave). The opening phrase was first jotted down on a postcard and sent to his family along with a note to his sister, Fanny that said, "In order to make you understand how extraordinarily The Hebrides affected me, I send you the following, which came into my head there."

Hebrides Overture was completed December 16, 1830 and was originally entitled Die einsame Insel( The Lonely Island). Later, Mendelssohn revised the work and it was completed by 20 June 1832 with a new name, Die Hebriden, or The Hebrides. Fingal's Cave was another title that was also used. The piece premiered on May 14, 1832 in London and it was dedicated to the Crown Prince of Prussia, King Frederick William IV. William IV invited Mendelssohn to England shortly after the composer's twentieth birthday in 1829, thus helping with the conception of the work.


Even though it is labled an overture, Hebrides Overture was intended as a complete work itself. The work also accompanies the Sibelius composition program as a demo piece, used in a scene in the cartoon "Race For Your Life Charlie Brown" and the 'chase music' in the radio serial "Challenge of the Yukon".

Come and listen to the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Orchestra as they play this famous piece at their new venue, The Kroc Center in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on October 12th at 7:30 pm and again on October 13th at 2:00 pm in a concert called Scotland Forever!  They will also be performing Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 (the Scottish Symphony) and the Scottish Fantasy by Bruch (Featuring concertmaster Phillip Baldwin on violin). 

Tickets are $20.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors and $8.00 for students with ID.

Review: Intermezzo (for Horn and Piano) by Reinhold Moritzovich Gliere

One of the best examples of pieces that show the musical aspects of the Horn is a short piece by Reinhold Moritzovich Gliere called Intermezzo. This 2 to 3 minute piece has a very memorable theme that consists of wide interval slurred jumps and the opportunity for the soloist to display a vocal like tone and feel through the instrument. Being a Post Romantic era piece, it also puts dynamics, piano to maybe a forte at the most with the use of crescendos and decrescendos, to good use.

Other than the wide interval leaps in the theme and the need for a full singing tone throughout, this piece has a simple melody and it is appropriate for the intermediate/advanced player. While it provides some musical challenge to the player, it is not a very technical piece per se as for as notes and octave range.

Intermezzo has a charm to it that makes it a great piece to keep in ones's repertoire beyond the intermediate/advanced level. It is a great piece for a recital if you want a quick simple piece that exploits the Horn's singing quality without being too simplistic and it is also suitable solo and ensemble competitions.

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Intermezzo, Op. 35 No. 11 By Reinhold Moritzovich Gliere (1874-1956). Edited by Joseph Anderer. For horn and piano. Published by International Music Company (IM.3158)

Review of Four Horn Concertos and Concert Rondo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart G Shirmer Edition

Along with the Concerto No. 1 by Richard Strauss and Beethoven's Horn Sonata, all four of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Horn concertos and His Concert Rondo are parts of a horn player's standard solo repertoire and are loved by many. As with any part that is transcribed and arranged for piano from an orchestra part, the Mozart concertos are a challenge to the pianist that accompanies the horn. The horn parts also prove to be a challenge not only technically, but stylistically as well because the tempo and dynamics have to be taken into consideration to the time period it was written as well as the composer's original intent.

Four Horn Concertos and Concert Rondo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, published by G Shirmer, is an arrangement of all horn concertos and Concert Rondo for Horn and Piano. Often used in competitions and performances, this collection is conveniently put together in one book and it has a separate pull out section for the solo horn.

While playing through this edition, it must be noted that transposing the horn part is not necessary. The original keys in which the concertos are written as such: Concerto No. 1 in D Major (horn part in D), Concertos 2, 3, 4 and the Concert Rondo are in E Flat Major (horn part in E Flat). The Schirmer edition has all the horn parts written in F. Another thing to note in this edition are the dynamics and articulations that are placed in the pieces. They are placed by the editor and not Mozart himself. So, one may have to take these markings with a grain of salt as far as interpretation. One also must be aware when practicing and performing these concertos from this edition is that the orchestra "tutti" horn parts are written in the solo horn parts as though they are a part of the solo itself. It is not advised that these orchestral parts be played by the soloist because it would make an awkward performance. It is recommended that you have another edition and/or a recording of the Mozart concerto you are working on and edit the horn part by marking which ones are the solo passages and which ones are the tutti passages.

Overall, the G Shirmer Edition of the Four Horn Concertos and Concert Rondo is a good tool for a student player to use for a solo contest in preparation for a solo contest or audition. It eliminates the need for transposition and gives the student work on the other musical and technical aspects of the music. It is also a good thing to have on hand if you want all your Mozart concertos together in one book for a Mostly Mozart recital.

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Four Horn Concertos And Concert Rondo (Horn and Piano). By Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791). For horn and piano accompaniment. Brass Solo. Classical Period. Difficulty: medium. Set of performance parts (includes separate pull-out horn part). Solo part and piano reduction. 127 pages. G. Schirmer #LB1807. Published by G. Schirmer (HL.50261880) (15) ...more info

Horn Method Book Review: 60 Selected Studies by C. Kopprasch

Perhaps one of the most popular and loved Horn method books used by Horn players and teachers alike is the 60 Selected Studies by C. Kopprasch.  Sold in either two separate books or one whole one, these studies are a challenge to the player from early advanced level on. It covers scale studies, articulations, dynamics, range, interval studies and even transposition (using common orchestral transpositions such as Horn in E, Eb, D, C, A, and less common ones such as Ab and Bb). Several of the studies have repeats in the passage for added endurance work while the book progresses in difficulty. Truly a pleasure to play, these etudes not only have the player work on the technical aspects of playing, it also helps with the musical aspects. The etudes themselves are relatively easy to  phrase and some of them play like "mini solos" that can be possibly be used in a college Horn jury.

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Sixty Selected Studies (For French Horn). By C. Kopprasch. Edited by Fr. G. A. Frehse. For Horn. Sixty Selected Studies For French Horn. Classical. Student book. Standard notation. 24 pages. Published by Carl Fischer (CF.O2790) ...more info

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Sixty Selected Studies for French Horn-Bk. II (Book II). By C. Kopprasch. Edited by Fr. G. A. Frehse, Fr. Gumbert. For Horn. Student book. Standard notation. 24 pages. Published by Carl Fischer (CF.O2791) ...more info

Let The Symphony Season Begin!!

Let The Symphony Season Begin!! Get Your Tickets By Clicking Here

If you were in the town of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on Labor Day, you may have enjoyed the beauty of Lake Coeur d'Alene and all it has to offer as far as it's scenery, fun and recreation. You may have also noticed the sound and sights of a symphony orchestra playing on a small stage in a park known as City Park. That orchesta is the Coeur d'Alene Symphony Orchestra and they were kicking off their concert season and entertaining the crowd with fun patriotic pieces, marches, movie themes and classical music.

Every year this orchestra entertains audiences throughout the Spokane/ Coeur d'Alene area with classical and semi classical music. It also plays host to a National Young Artist Competition in which they encourage exceptional young talent from all over the United States and beyond. 

The 2012-2013 will bring another exciting season with great music, two choices of performance times for the concerts and a new venue. The new venue will be at the  Salvation Army's Kroc Center in Coeur d' Alene and it will provide free parking. 

Performances for the 2012-2013 Season will include:

Scotland Forever 

Friday, October 12, 7:20 pm

Saturday, October 13, 2:00 pm

Hebrides Overture (aka Fingal's Cave) ~ Mendelssohn

Scottish Fantasy ~ Bruch (featuring Dr.Phil Baldwin, violin)

Symphony No. 3 "Scottish" ~ Mendelssohn  

Messiah Singalong 

at Lake City Community Church (in Coeur d'Alene)

Saturday December 1, 7:00 pm

Amahl & The Night Visitors

Saturday, December 8, 2:00 & 7:30 pm

National Young Artist Competition

at Whitworth College Music Recital Hall in Spokane, Washington

Saturday, January 5, & Sunday, January 6, 8:00-5:00

Black and White Ball

Location TBA

Saturday, January 19, 7:00 pm

Winners Concert

Featuring National Young Artist Competition Winners

Friday March 8, 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 9, 2:00 pm

Season Finale

Friday, May 3, 7:30 pm

Saturday, May 4, 2:00 pm

Concerto #2 for Jazz Piano and Orchestra (World Premier) ~ Brent Edstrom

Symphony No. 3 "Eroica" ~ Beethoven

For more information about the Coeur d'Alene Symphony, check out their website at http://www.cdasymphony.org

It's That Time Of Year Again.

Well it's that time of year when we bid farewell to summer and some of us say "hello" to concert season. On Monday September 3 at 1 pm the Coeur d' Alene Symphony will be presenting it's annual Labor Day concert in City Park in beautiful Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. This concert will kick of a fantastic season full of great music.

http://www.cdasymphony.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69:labor-day-2012&catid=36:frontpage-slide

"Rain" by heartnote | Redbubble

"Rain" by heartnote | Redbubble:

Three Gymnopedies by Erik Satie arr. D Marlatt

 Three Gymnopedies by Erik Satie Arranged by D. Marlatt (for Horn and Piano)     

Reviewed By Sweetladymusic

Originally written for piano solo by the French composer Erik Satie, Three Gymnopedies are three short atmospheric pieces that share a 3/4 time signature as well as a common theme and structure.

Arranged by D Marlatt, these beautiful and ambient pieces are now available for Horn and piano and are technically easy to play. They are written in the mid register and they showcase the musical aspects of the Horn with it's clear cut phrases and dynamic range from a piano to a mezzo forte.

Having performed the first of these pieces and reviewing the composition as a whole, I find Three Gymnopedies appropriate to perform if you want a slow and reflective contrast to a technical piece for a recital. They are also suitable to perform as background music or for occasions such as weddings. Each of the Gymnopedies can be performed as a whole or as separate pieces.

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Three Gymnopedies By Erik Satie (1866-1925). Arranged by David Marlatt. For F Horn & Keyboard. Brass - French Horn Solo; Masterworks; Solo. Eighth Note Publications. Romantic. Part(s). Duration 00:08:35. Published by Eighth Note Publications (AP.81-SH205)

Review: Embouchure Building For French Horn By Joseph Singer as compiled and edited by Richard E Ballou

Embouchure Building For French Horn By Joseph Singer as compiled and edited by Richard E Ballou

By Sweetladymusic

Are you looking for a challenging way to build your horn embouchure and gain endurance? Embouchure Building For French Horn is one of the most challenging method books to help you achieve such goals; whether it is getting your horn chops back from illness or vacations or if you are a little extra endurance. Focusing on the mechanical basics such as long tone studies, scales using different articulations, interval and flexibility exercises, this book has suggested routine exercises from moderate, special low register exercises and those who wish to achieve increased stamina and power. 
Embouchure Building is based on the theory that mechanically nearly all the problems that are encountered by players in orchestras, chamber ensembles, bands and other ensembles can be covered in a comprehensive daily "routine" of practice. The only thing that these studies do not deal with are the musical problems such as dynamics, phrasing and other expressions.

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Embouchure Builder for Horn Edited by Richard E. Ballou. For horn. Brass - French Horn Method or Collection; Method/Instruction. Technique. Instructional book. Introductory text, instructional text and standard notation. 40 pages. Published by Alfred Music Publishing (AP.EL00966) ...more info