– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 16
FINAL REHEARSAL before the concert
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
CONCERT INFO:
Time: Sunday, May 4th at 2pm. Symphonic Band players, please arrive no later than 1:15pm so we have time to warm up beforehand. You are performing first.
Cost: $10 for adults, free for children. We are hoping the money collected will help us offset the cost of renting the auditorium.
Place: Mount Saint Vincent, Seton Building Auditorium. This is the building at the front of the campus, right on the Bedford Hwy
Performance Attire: Concert Black. Tuxedo or equivalent for men, black bottoms for ladies with black and/or white tops. Please do NOT wear white socks. If ladies decide to wear a skirt/dress, please ensure it falls below the knees when sitting.
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: no sight reading this evening
- Like last week, we are going to run the entire program. No stopping. I am going to time the performance…
- Ancient Airs –
- Perthshire Majesty –
- Irish Rhapsody –
- Loch Lomond –
- Lincolnshire –
- Three Ayres –
- Bond… James Bond –
- If there are issues that people would like to address, we will revisit them after the rehearsal break.
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
3. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
4. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
5. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
6. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
7. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 15
2 rehearsals left until the concert
Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: we will sight read A Little Prayer this week, please remember to return all parts.
- We are going to run the entire program, but touch on a few issues still remaining in pieces we haven’t rehearsed in a while.
- Ancient Airs – read through only
- Perthshire Majesty – read through, then a chance to address a few final issues here and there
- Irish Rhapsody – read through, then we will address any remaining issues with transitions, timing, counting, etc…
- Loch Lomond – this piece was almost cut last week, we will read through it and see where we are with it’s progress
- Lincolnshire – read through only. No slowing down allowed
- Three Ayres – read through only, then a chance to correct any remaining issued with this piece
- Bond… James Bond – read through only
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
3. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
4. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
5. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
6. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
7. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 14
3 rehearsals left until the concert
Wednesday, April 16, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE: the verdict is in… we will be cutting Blackwater for this season and focusing on the rest of our program. Blackwater will be revisited in our upcoming ‘left overs’ program in the fall.
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: sightread __________ this week, please remember to return all parts.
- Bond… James Bond –
- Ancient Airs – read through only, just to remind of of what we discussed and worked on last week
- Loch Lomond –
- Lincolnshire – read through only, just to remind us of what we discussed and worked on last week. No slowing down allowed
- IF TIME: Three Ayres –
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol) – CUT FOR THIS CONCERT
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 13
4 rehearsals left until the concert
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE: the verdict is in… we will be cutting Blackwater for this season and focusing on the rest of our program. Blackwater will be revisited in our upcoming ‘left overs’ program in the fall.
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: sightread Jamaican Jamboree this week, please remember to return all parts.
- Ancient Airs
@3 mallets lead to trumpets, again @5
Opening, clean up sus.cym and wood blk trading parts (Zach and Sharon)
@17 clarinets and bass clarinets… not moving together
Then run @17 again… this time adding the bsn, Hrn and saxes… balance, count, move together
Dynamics into Slower and through transition
Excellent snare and toms @20! Bravo!
@28-29 melody line first (hrns and trbn 1)… then add harmony parts (I want to hear them!)
@30 asx/clar is doubled in mallets (do we have this covered? I don’t hear it)… I do hear stick on cymbal dome part (perc1)
Run @30-38 twice… once for melodic accuracy, then for harmony parts
Trumpets @38 rhythm/melody mistakes… then run @38 with harmony brass voices
@42 rhythm part… accurate, no one playing in rests? Need to hear divisi parts
@46 btn and tuba not lined up with picc solo pt
@48 inner voices (maybe run all harmony/inner voices at 46)… then add sax solo
@50 run through to the transition… for balance, tempo changes, and moving together… wind chimes enter WAY too soon and sound
@55 unison melody line not together… sounds messy… also out of tune
Run accomp. Parts @60… dynamics?
Intonation @65? Harmony voices… then melody?
@69 forte but slowing down, then rit, then a tempo to fermata.
TRANSITION! @74… tempo from percussion was correct… clarinets and horns not ready? Run this a few times
No dynamic contrast heard… cresc and decresc please
@76 dotted halfs… please move together
@84 cresc to a f/mf peak, then a decresc… this is getting lost… also hrn/asx line is getting lost
@93 mallet lines are not heard? Are they being covered? I sort of hear the bells, but they should be in unison with the melody
@105 no vibes here? (is this being covered?)
Started at @109 too fast… quarter = 60 then accel into @117
@117 Overall, this section was played well… good style and feel. Everyone seems to be on the same page here
@148 percussion too fast, but high energy… that is what we want… just a bit more controlled. When the winds came in, they were exactly at @132… the tempo settled into where it was supposed to be… so ultimately, we weren’t rushing this entire section.
Can we run this section starting at @148 with everyone… but then at @160 drop the melody people? How is the energy now?
@172 I hear the tsx part… but not the tuba/bsx/bass clar part
@176 stronger off beats pls
@197 control your sound for double forte
Generally SD throughout is strong and accurate, but lacks dynamic contrast… loud all the time - Lincolnshire Posy
Right from the start this piece is under tempo
Please include the sf @10, 11 & 12
@28 rhythm in the bass line includes an eighth
@34 run bass line, then run it again for horn/btn and tsx… two parts together?
@44 for bass line part (eighths)
@50 run bassoon and bass clarinet… need a clear tongue on the note in bar @55. How does this fit in with the sax part? What about the tongued note @61?
Now run @50 with picc and alto clarinet
@82 run just those instruments that have eighth rhythm @83… then those that have eighth rhythm in @87
Run @98 for horn and tsx
SLOW DOWN @122 and play everything accurately… don’t speed up until everyone has it down.
Talk about * notes in the score for the last note
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 12
5 rehearsals left until the concert
Wednesday, April 2, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE: the beginner band is looking for a few players to join them for the final spring concert. They are looking for 1-2 clarinets and a flute player. Any volunteers? This would be a great week to sit in with them since rehearsal for the Symphonic Band will be ending at 8pm
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: no sightreading this week
- Recording Week: we will do a full run through of the program as it stands now and record it… both for an estimate on timing and to see where we need to focus our attention for the next few weeks.
- Tunes will be played in alphabetical order, as listed below.
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 11
6 rehearsals left until the concert
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Rehearsal will start at 6pm this week only
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE: the beginner band is looking for a few players to join them for the final spring concert. They are looking for 1-2 clarinets and a flute player. Any volunteers? This would be a great week to sit in with them since rehearsal for the Symphonic Band will be ending at 8pm
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading:
- Ancient Airs:
- Loch Lomond: read through, followed by a chance to work out and correct any remaining issues with this piece
- Blackwater: new Tsax parts, transitions, transitions, transitions
- Lincolnshire Posy: new Tsax parts, working to correct rhythmic issues, we need to focus on @34 (hrns/tsx), @50 for picc & alto clarinet, can we add the harmony voices here without slowing down? Run @98 for horn/tsx, run @122 slower then speed up
- Irish Rhapsody:
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 10
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
REMINDER: Our rehearsals are a scent-free zone. Last week, most of the flute section mentioned to me that they were reacting to a ‘strong cinnamon smell’ coming from somewhere in the band. Please make every effort to avoid using scented products before or during rehearsals as we have players with scent sensitivies. Thanks so much.
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading:
- Bond… James Bond: will start with a focus on Goldfinger… we will be pulling it apart and having each part played separately before putting it back together, can we improve the wah-wahs in the trumpet part? will practice the accel into @79 a few times (especially 2 bars before the change), bar 79-80… sixteenth note lines are passed from part to part, will run lower voices @89, run melodic rhythm @95
- Blackwater: we are starting our work this evening @128-139… slowing it down and working through rhythmic complexities, time signature changes and dynamic contrasts. Once we are comfortable with all of this, we will start to speed it up until we are at tempo… then put it back in context before moving our attention to the 5/4 section. Need horn line @151. Run oboe / clar / b.clar / bsn @155… then add horn part… big harmonies here. Trbn joins horns @159. Run flt / obo / clar / b.clar / bsn / trpt / basses @161. Work pyramid effect starting at @164. Run melody saxes / trpts @167… then harmony parts alone. Run @179-192 a few times… again, cleaning up this transition (tempo does not change)
- Three Ayres, mvt1: can we do the entire opening of this piece with brass alone? (exception: alto sax has cues for 1st and 3rd horn parts, so can Becky and Anna cover the 2nd and 4th parts here?). I want to run this slowly first and hear all the harmonies. Can we play with only woodwinds (and fhrn) @25 (no asx cues), will run @26 for all low ww voices. @33 I’d like to hear just brass and saxes for first 4 measures. How is the percussion section fitting in with all of this? Triangle @25 and @37? Run Trpts along @43… listen to harmonies within your section, then add horns to this… then repeat this procedure for trpts & horns @51. Full cut off in @58 followed by a restatement of the opening theme to end. Again… brass (and asx) only?
- Three Ayres, mv3: clean up opening two bars… unison (w/o grace notes, then again with them). Run @133 woodwinds & percussion only (do not cover tsx part in btns please). Look at bsn / b.clar / bsx / btn parts @141. Run trpts alone @149 then add trbn3 / tsx/ btn. Brass and saxes only @149… how is the percussion parts fitting in?
- IF TIME Loch Lomond: read through only
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 9
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading:
- Lincolnshire Posy mvt.6: we will start right where we left off last week, our biggest problem while playing this piece thus far has been maintaining the tempo, especially when the style changes @50. We will introduce the new alto sax parts that I have been transposing from French Horn
- Three Ayres, mvt2: explain and work the two moments of pause (railway tracks). We will adopt the same idea as we are using in Perthshire… thinking of the bar as a 4/4 measure instead
- Irish Rhapsody: clean up transition @29, work moving parts during melodic sustains @69 then again through @78, rehearse fp @89,… we want to hear the alto and horn parts, work transition into @95, crescendo into @125, transition @135… we need the bass clarinet and bassons @137, run trpt and trbn @147, can we maintain the tempo at @166? Run @182 slowly and listen to all the entries, run the rit leading into the Allargando @226
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: will clean up the opening section to @8… this will involve mostly percussion, then we will run @8-20 without the flute soloist… notice the two Rits and the Slower section, can we clean up the SD and Tom parts @20, starting @22 the melody is a unison part, then when it is joined by additional players @26 it is still unison… we can’t diagree on the rhythm, will run melody lines @30 for rhythmic/grace note accuracy, are all the inner parts @34 moving together? @38 – Trpts… articulations and rhythmic accuracy, inner parts @42 for rhythmic accuracy, picc and alto sax solos starting @46, work @50 thru transition into @55 a few times, we’ve spoken about the rhythmic part @58 for melody, don’t let the 2/4 measure throw you off
- IF TIME: Bond… James Bond: will start with a focus on Goldfinger… we will be pulling it apart and having each part played separately before putting it back together, can we improve the wah-wahs in the trumpet part? will practice the accel into @79 a few times (especially 2 bars before the change), bar 79-80… sixteenth note lines are passed from part to part, will run lower voices @89, run melodic rhythm @95
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 8
Wednesday, March 5, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing a random Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: Amazing Grace – Frank Ticheli
- Pershire Majesty: we are going to try slightly longer pauses between each entry of the soprano sax during opening, more bass clarinet @10 please, work 2 bars before @17… full band cresc then decresc with some instruments approaching niente, lets identify the four instruments that DON’T disappear but instead lead into @17, are we ending together @24? Run @25 first with just dotted halfs, then add quarter note lines. special focus @31 for cresc and eighth note parts to forte then the same voices eighth note parts to piano, decision made @42 = railway tracks… think of a bar of 4 with beat four as a quarter rest, remember the full stop before @61, we are inserting railway tracks before @65… this means the last four bars will FEEL like they are in 4/4 time with beat four being silence… it will also be slowing down.
- Bond… James Bond: as before, we will start at the end and work backwards. We will run the 3/4 to end… then 2nd ending to the end. Then move back to @144 to the end. Once we have this secure, then we will jump back to @129 and work the accelerando into @144 a few times. Then back to the beginning to start working there.
- Lincolnshire Posy mvt.6: our biggest problem while playing this piece is maintaining the tempo, especially when the style changes @50. We will introduce the new alto sax parts that are being transposed from French Horn
- Three Ayres, mvt2: explain and work the two moments of pause (railway tracks). We will adopt the same idea as we are using in Perthshire… thinking of the bar as a 4/4 measure instead
- Irish Rhapsody: clean up transition @29, work moving parts during melodic sustains @69 then again through @78, rehearse fp @89,… we want to hear the alto and horn parts, work transition into @95, crescendo into @125, transition @135… we need the bass clarinet and bassons @137, run trpt and trbn @147, can we maintain the tempo at @166? Run @182 slowly and listen to all the entries, run the rit leading into the Allargando @226
- IF TIME: Ancient Airs of Ireland: read through only
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 7
Wednesday, February 26, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: no sight reading tonight… we are going to do a quick warm up and get right ‘down to business’
- Blackwater: read through only
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: we’ll start by reviewing the work we did last time (roughly from @148 to the end), then we will run the accel at @109 a few times before rehearsing Song of the Chanter. Once this is solid with transitions, we will jump back to the beginning.
- Three Ayres, all 3 movements – read through only
- Loch Lomond: will work on @82 to the end, balancing the two separate melodies being played a the same time. We will clean up any issues with the ending. Then back to the beginning, working our way through and correcting anything that comes up as we go.
- Irish Rhapsody: will start at the beginning and working through the piece, focus will be on transitions and style
- IF TIME: Lincolnshire Posy mvt.6: read through only
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 6
Wednesday, February 19, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: John Williams: Movie Adventures (arr. Michael Sweeney)… we will be printing copies… available now on the download resources page. There will be no need to return them, as we might be using the music for the summer season
- Three Ayres, all 3 movements – will be starting at the beginning and digging into this piece, focus will be on style, balance and rhythm
- Perthshire Majesty: read through only, remember the many different kinds of pauses
- Blackwater: will continue working through the transition into 5/4 a few times. Then we will focus our remaining rehearsal time on @139 to the end.
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: we’ll start by reviewing the work we did last time (roughly from @148 to the end), then we will run the accel at @109 a few times before rehearsing Song of the Chanter. Once this is solid with transitions, we will jump back to the beginning.
- Irish Rhapsody: full read through only
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 5
Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: Kronos (Robert W Smith)… we will be using ‘originals’. Please remember to return your parts before the end of the rehearsal
- Perthshire Majesty: read through, then we will get into some of ‘the weeds’ with this piece
- Irish Rhapsody: focus will be on @95 to the end this evening
- Blackwater: review the work we did three weeks ago (beginning to roughly @128) then work through the transition into 5/4 a few times. Then we will focus our remaining rehearsal time on @139 to the end.
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: we’ll start by reviewing the work we did last time (roughly from @148 to the end), then we will run the accel at @109 a few times before rehearsing Song of the Chanter. Once this is solid with transitions, we will jump back to the beginning.
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 4
Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Sight Reading:
- mvt.6 Lost Lady Found: read through followed by a more in depth look at rhythms. @18-34 we will remove melody and work with inner parts, then add melody back in. @34-50 need to look at the FHrn and Btn parts, then add bassoon and tuba parts. @50 is more horizontal playing… don’t slow tempo, melody is picc and alto clarinet. @66-82 look at inner parts separately. @82 look at parts labeled ‘to the fore’, these should be heard above all others. @98 horn part is isolated… perhaps I will need to double this in the trumpets (stay tuned for that). @122 rhythms here are tricky. @130 dotted half notes should be bell-like. We will rehearse the transition back into three 5 measures from the end.
- James Bond: read through first, then we will start at the end and work backwards. We will focus on the 3/4 to end… then 2nd ending to the end. Then move back to @144 to the end. Once we have this secure, then we will jump back to @137 and work the accelerando into @144 a few times. Then back again to @129 Live and Let Die, while focusing on the transition into ‘double time’ at @132.
IF TIME: we will continue working backward to include Skyfall - Loch Lomond: read through, then we will start from the beginning and work through details. Focus will be on rhythms, notes, balance and dynamics.
- IF TIME: Three Ayres mvt1: read through, then working on rhythm, balance and style.
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 3
Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Rehearsal was cancelled due to bad weather
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 2
Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for this rehearsal include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Sight Reading: Perthshire Majesty
- Irish Rhapsody: read through followed by a more in depth look at transitions, tempos and style. We will be focusing primarily on correct rhythms.
- Blackwater: read through first, then we will start at the beginning and dig into this work
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: read through, then we will start from the end and work backwards. We will clean up the last 8 measures, then include the two bars of slower 4, then jump back to the beginning of the 6/8 section @148, the tune entitled Behind the Bush in the Garden. IF TIME: we will also look at the Song of the Chanter section beginning @109
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Symphonic Band
Objectives Page
2025 Winter Season
Week 1 – Reading Session
Wednesday, January 15, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the symphonic band, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for the Reading Session include:
- Warm Up: we will begin by playing C Concert Scale
- Irish Rhapsody: read through
- Ancient Airs of Ireland: read through
- Blackwater: read through
- Lincolnshire Posy mvt.6: read through
- Perthshire Majesty: read through
- Bond… James Bond: read through
- Loch Lomond: read through
- Three Ayres: read through
SYMPHONIC BAND: WINTER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Ancient Airs of Ireland (Michael Sweeney)
2. Blackwater (Fergal Carrol)
3. Bond… James Bond (arr. Stephen Bulla)
4. Irish Rhapsody (Clare Grundman)
5. Loch Lomond (Frank Ticheli)
6. Lincolnshire Posy (Percy Grainger)
– we will begin with mvt.6 The Lost Lady Found
7. Perthshire Majesty (Samuel R Hazo)
8. Three Ayres from Gloucester (Hugh Stuart)
FEES for Winter 2025:
In January each member of the Second Chances Symphonic Band will be asked to pay the winter season’s registration fee.
$175 registration fee (1st group)
$90 registration fee (for any additional group)
$50 registration fee for a student currently in high school or attending a recognized post secondary institution
Halifax Community Band Festival
Also, don’t forget about our very own Halifax Community Band Festival being held at Mount Saint Vincent University on May 23rd through 25th 2025! This is the weekend we host players from various different community bands from all over the Maritime provinces for a fellowship of music making and networking. Make sure you mark it on your calendar! Its a great chance to learn from great guest conductors and meet new friends who love to play as well!
website: https://www.secondchancesband-ns.com/hfx-band-fest/