– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 8
Tuesday, July 8, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE: there will be NO rehearsal on Canada Day (Tuesday, July 1st)… our next rehearsal is scheduled for July 8th.
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- St. Stephen March: opening is strong but lacks energy… especially with accented entries such as those on beat 4. Run melody @7 slowly… how many player do we actually have playing this part? Remember that dynamically, the repeated rhythm patterns need to be underneath the melody lines. Good mallet playing from @7-23. Woodwinds only @23 and SD should have switched to a woodblock. This section @23 needs to be rhythmically accurate otherwise it sounds messy. @31-32 the long whole notes should NOT overpower the moving quarter note line. @33 run quarter note line first alone, then add rhythmic part (marked forte, but need it softer), finally try melody @33 alone. Speak about the concept of augmentation… it happens @41.
- Blues Machine: generally, percussion is too loud… especially drumset, @11 work for accuracy in melodic line… most are playing the right rhythm, but not moving together. @32 love the kit emphasizing the quarter notes! Bravo! @33 triangle part should stop too? @36 work percussion soli section, especially ending @56-57 (drum set was trying to end section with quarters again). Run @66-74 with low brass/ww first… then with flt/obo/clar/sax/trpt/hrn parts. Drumset got off at @74 for some reason. Run @74-82 with only clar/asx/tsx/trpt/hrn. Cowbell & Tambourine return @82? Drumset stopped @92? Can’t hear triangle here either. Good ending… all together.
- Canada Day March: Mikhayla is on the podium
- Salute to Louis Armstrong: rehearsal notes TBD
- IF TIME: Silesian Folk Song: rehearsal notes TBD
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 7
Tuesday, June 24, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
NOTE1: there will be NO rehearsal on Canada Day (Tuesday, July 1st)
NOTE2: recordings for the summer repertoire have now been posted.
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- Recording Week – we will record all music in the summer folder just to see where we are and how best to apply our rehearsal time moving forward.
a) Blues Machine
b) Salute to Louis Armstrong
c) Scene from Iqualuit
d) Silesian Folk Song
e) St. Stephen March
f) Grease
g) Canada Day March
h) A Little Prayer - Salute to Louis Armstrong: will begin working from the end and working backwards
- Canada Day March: Mikhayla will be on the podium
- IF TIME: Silesian Folk Song: read through followed by a chance to correct any issues encountered
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 6
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- A Little Prayer: Mikhayla on the podium
- Blues Machine:
PERCUSSION ASSIGNMENTS
1. Todd = Drum Set
2. Kristine = Tom-Toms
3. Guest Band Player = Claves (written on mallet perc part)
4. Guest Band Player = Guiro / Tambourine
5. Guest Band Player = Cowbell
6. Ron = Triangle
REHEARSAL PLAN
I would really like to take a few moments to work out percussion parts here. I will have a ‘body’ percussion page created for rehearsal purposes this week. We ALL will become percussionists for a bit as we work through this important aspect of Blues Machine. - Grease: will begin working from the end and working backwards
- IF TIME: Silesian Folk Song: read through followed by a chance to correct any issues encountered
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 5
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
A NOTE FROM AURORA:
The Aurora North End Parish Church will be hosting a Clothing Giveaway as part of the “Hydrostone Haul’s” 6th Annual Neighbourhood-Wide Yard Sale on Saturday, June 14th. The organizers at Aurora are seeking donations of good quality clothing items and bags (purses, knapsacks, etc); children’s clothing is especially appreciated. Donations can be left in the left coat rack area of the Aurora church foyer, or contact Joyce (hyperlink to her email address) for a drop off option.
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- St. Stephen March: read through, followed by a chance to focus on the opening (esp @5-6 drums)
- Scene from Iqaluit:
- Silesian Folk Song
- Canada Day March: Mikhayla on the podium
- IF TIME: Blues Machine:
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 4
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- Grease: begin by focusing on rhythm part @5, then play through Hand Jive section slowly… only speeding up again once everyone is comfortable with the rhythm. Then we will do the same with ‘We Go Together’ @44
- Louis Armstrong: re-visit the opening (run clarinet line for eighths), run melody @15 again (asx & trpt)… then we’ll add response & harmony parts again. Does everyone understand swing rhythms? (should be marked in your part @21), we will be moving in to St. Louis Blues this week… notice the two key changes @31 and @35 (then another later @59), work transitions into each section of the piece, note that @63 where Hello Dolly begins, we are back to playing it straight (no longer swing style), we’ll speak about the trumpet cadenza at the end (last bar)
- A Little Prayer: Mikhayla on the podium
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 3
Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the intermediate band program, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: random scale work, up and down. Will continue to work on understanding the relationship between a major scale and it’s relative minor
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- Blues Machine: work out triangle part in beginning, then focus on the bass line. Once those two things are in place, add the drum set part. Then run melody part @11 by itself… count carefully. We need rhythmic accuracy. @26 rhythm in upper parts… move together on the + of 3. Watch articulations as well.
- Grease: begin by focusing on rhythm part @5, then play through Hand Jive section slowly… only speeding up again once everyone is comfortable with the rhythm. THen we will do the same with ‘We Go Together’ @44
- Canada Day March: Mikhayla on the podium
- IF TIME: Iqaluit: will start at the end and work backwards
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 2
Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the intermediate band program, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
- Sightreading: a random chorale from 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson)
- Silesian Folk Song: clean up opening with flutes (the picc/bells), run melody with only saxes & clarinets… listen for harmonies, @13 run half-quarter-quarter part first, then add harmony voices, dynamics? Key change @21?
- Louis Armstrong: work on the opening a bit (lots of eigth notes for clarinets), run melody @15 (asx & trpt)… then add response & harmony parts, speak about swing music & how it changes the rhythms a bit (should be marked in your part @21), key change @31 then again @35, work transitions into each section
- A Little Prayer: Mikhayla on the podium
- St. Stephen March: solidify the eight-16th-16th rhythms in all parts, articulations are important here, are we paying attention to the dynamics?
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –Second Chances Intermediate Band
Objectives Page
2025 Summer Season
Week 1 – READING SESSION
Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 7pm
Location: Aurora North End Parish Church
5666 Sebastian Street, Halifax
FOR MORE INFORMATION about the intermediate band program, contact the executive director of the Second Chances Music Program, Chris Ward at eloboesolo@gmail.com
Objectives for Rehearsal include:
- Quick Warm Up: Bb Concert Scale, up and down
- Silesian Folk Song: read through
- St. Stephen March: read through
- Scene from Iqaluit: read through
- Canada Day March: read through with Mikhayla
- A Little Prayer: read through with Mikhayla
- Highlights from Grease: read through
- Salute to Louis Armstrong: read through
- Blues Machine: read through
INTERMEDIATE BAND: SUMMER 2025 REPERTOIRE
1. Blues Machine (Carl Strommen)
2. Canada Day March (Ron MacKay)
3. Highlights from Grease (arr. Paul Murtha)
4. A Little Prayer (Evelyn Glennie arr Luc Vertommen)
5. Salute to Louis Armstrong (arr. Eric Osterling)
6. Scene in Iqaluit (Howard Cable)
7. Silesian Folk Song (arr. John Edmondson)
8. St. Stephen March (Scott Rogal)
FEES for Summer 2025:
In May, each member of the Second Chances Intermediate Band will be asked to pay the summer season’s registration fee. If they do not already own it, they will also be asked to acquire the following book: 66 Festive and Famous Chorales for Band (Frank Erickson). This book will be used regularly during rehearsals this season.
$175 registration fee (1st group)
$90 registration fee (2nd group)
$50 registration fee for a student currently in high school or attending a recognized post secondary institution
$15 estimated cost of book from Long & McQuade
Halifax Community Band Festival
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! It’s 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/