The BAC, BD, and BSO at Tanglewood.

[BRASSO]

The site that shall not be named has the entire 1812 with both corps now online. I will not put up the link to only have it taken down. You all know where to find it.

This is a great performance. Congrats to both corps for pulling off this one.

My guess, the BAC/ BD " 1812 Overture " performed with the Boston Symphony last nite at Tanglewood, which was taped by a private Boston based media outlet, and it was posted on line at YT will remain for viewers, as there should be no copywright issues with it... near as I can tell anyway. What a GREAT performance, imo. Standing O by the attendees.

Edited July 7, 2015 by BRASSO

[gak27]

THAT. Was freaking awesome.

[Peel Paint]

My guess, the BAC/ BD " 1812 Overture " performed with the Boston Symphony last nite at Tanglewood, which was taped by a private Boston based media outlet, and it was posted on line at YT will remain for viewers, as there should be no copywright issues with it... near as I can tell anyway. What a GREAT performance, imo. Standing O by the attendees.

I like your theory, but sorry, Tresona's official position is that if any artist affiliated with them performed the piece within the last 75 years, you need to $ecure a licen$e from Tresona before even humming it.

[emc2]

My guess, the BAC/ BD " 1812 Overture " performed with the Boston Symphony last nite at Tanglewood, which was taped by a private Boston based media outlet, and it was posted on line at YT will remain for viewers, as there should be no copywright issues with it... near as I can tell anyway. What a GREAT performance, imo. Standing O by the attendees.

The music that Boston played (1812) was epic. Just like the pops.

[D-Cex]

The 1812 Overture performed by BAC/BD/BPOP-brass!

Incredible! Be proud DCI!Congratulations BAC/BD and thanks to IaM, BSO/BPOP organization.

Blue Devils & Boston Crusaders "1812 Overture" @ The Brass Spectacular 2015 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vuaXS4lhsM

[cajal]

Thanks so much to the people who posted the links to the Tanglewood performances.

[Ghost]

Did I miss a video of Boston's performance? At least not on this thread. Still need help as how to take Monsieur Hammond's periscope link and enlarge the video as well as have it look right side up instead of on its side. Thanks.

[HornTeacher]

Horn Teacher had a four hour ride back into the woods of NY. (He mentioned that he provided the recent escapees some food during their run from the LEO's. He has such a big heart.)

Disclaimer #1: This is most probably going to be quite long. Very long. As to why...I'll simply say "Well...because. Just because. Time will bring you wisdom, Grasshoppers." Let's leave it at that.

Disclaimer #2: For those out there who have never had the wonderful opportunity to meet Ghost and spend a day with him....well...put it on your bucket list. Now. Very High. It might not rank with meeting some 5'11" long-legged Swedish Blonde (sorry Sir...you should have known that would find it's way in here. ) But nevertheless, it's an experience. And Ghost?? Thank you for a great day, Sir. Enough said on that....

Yes, I did finally arrive home at 3 A.M. But go to bed? Naaahhh...I live in the woods, remember? I arrived home to a large group of Black Bears (and what seemed like ALL of their extended family), contentedly banqueting on my chickens, sheep, and pigs (I fear that it's going to be a LONG, cold, and hungry winter in about 6 months). The wifey stayed up, and was screaming at me to "get those &%*$(@#+&%^ liquor bottles and those chicken bones away from our house. I can't believe you made those jump-suited jerks leave without picking up after their sorry a**es." On top of that, both stills had sprung leaks -- many of them. So, suffice to say, it's been a long two days.

Oh...concert....roger that....

Program

Boston Pops Brass and Percussion

Fanfare for Fenway John Williams

Procession of the Nobles (from the opera-ballet "Mlada") Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Canzona Noni Toni Tutti-Frutti Giovanni Gabrieli

(No. This wasn't the title. But it came before Ghost would relenquish his beloved pencil. So...I had to guess. Judging by typical Gabrieli titles, it's close.)

Hymn To The Fallen (from the film "Saving Private Ryan") John Williams

American Dances (World Premier) Robert W. Smith

1. Rag

2. Country

3. Swing

Festive Overture Dmitri Shostakovich

(Brief Pause) (That's how it was listed on the program. Honest. Ask Ghost. I think maybe they couldn't state it as "INT", because they would then have had to endure constant complaining from INT's fandom about getting their hopes up...only to be cruelly dashed. Hey...it's a thought. If nothing else, consider it to be the Pops' homage to the activity.)

Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps

2015 Program

(Brief Pause) (See above)

Boston Crusaders Drum Corps

2015 Program

I'm Shipping Up To Boston Words by Woody Guthrie

Music by Dropkick Murhpys

Giant (from the film "Giant.") Dimitri Tiomkin

(Thanks for the historical background on that one, Ghost.)

(Brief Pause) (I think you get it by now)

Combined Boston Pops Brass and Percussion, Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, Boston Crusaders Drum Corps

1812 Overture Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Now, I'm not going to give you an editorial or music critic's "blow by blow." That would only serve to offend you and the musicians, and make me appear even more stupid than I already am. I will, however, comment upon my reflections of the night's concert (HIGH musical points, only. Sorry...but not into "trashing" right now. I hope you all understand.)

Pops

1. "Fanfare for Fenway" was a GREAT lead-in. Before last night, I was not aware of the piece. However, it is now on my "constant listening" list.

2. The Gabrieli "Canzona" was really, really nice, and a very wise choice. With the reverberation in the Shed, it was an extremely apt setting -- it served that Gabrieli antiphonal sound very well -- even if it wasn't set up to be that way last night (no divergent choirs). It was almost like being in Cathedral San Marcos in Venice, I would imagine. And heck...I saved the price of a round-trip ticket to Italy.

3. "Hymn To The Fallen" gave me my first chills of the night. By the time the piece reached it's middle section, I found myself staring down at my legs. A true "hymn" feeling. ALMOST brought the night's first dewiness to the ol' eye. Thank goodness Ghost was there -- wouldn't want him thinking I was some kind of ineffectual wimp.

4. "American Dances" -- ok...I might get just a trifle contentious here. Nothing against Robert W. Smith -- I love a great deal of his stuff, But...but...but...the "Rag" was little more than derivative Joplin. I found his use of "Old Joe Clark" very apt in the country movement, and I really liked what he did with it. As for the "Swing?" Yes, the Pops brass had a HUGE sound (especially for only 22 brasses). It was tight....VERY tight. But in introducing the piece, Smith harkened back to the "Swing era of the 40's." (HIS words, not mine) It didn't sound "40's" to me...rather, it brought to mind the Cab Calloway call-and-response style and sound of the late 20's/early 30's. Maybe not in the formal structuring...but there was simply something about it which almost conjured "Cab Calloway" almost from the beginning of the movement. Picky point, I know. And I'm sorry, Mr. Smith...that wasn't a pan of your work. Just a picky thought (which MAY also be TOTALLY uninformed and incorrect on my part).

5. "Festive Overture"...wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW!!!!! So much I could say here...but I'll resist most of it. Being a trumpet player, I loved seeing members of the trumpet section going back and forth between their more traditional horns and picking up their piccolo trumpets for short usages. Obviously, it was necessary to do in order to accurately (as much as a trumpet player CAN, anyway) portray the high woodwind (string when done orchestrally) portions of the work. Some of those guys were just as busy picking up and putting down horns (and I mean QUICKLY, in some cases!) as they were in actually creating sound out the ol' bell. I will most probably be wearing a very large (and painful) bruise on my right thigh for weeks -- a result of my excitement over the piece in several sections (I only hope that Ghost wasn't afraid that I was going to hit HIM).

Blue Devils

1. Loud

2 Loud

3. Loud (Most probably, I was the only person during this part of the program to actually laugh. By the half way through point, I got this sudden vision of Elmer Fudd whispering "Be qwiet. Be vewy, vewy qwiet." Yeah, right...

4. Funny story -- wait. Ghost alread mentioned to old couple that walked out halfway through. If I had liquid in my mouth at the time, the woman in front of me would have been wearing it. But I digress...

5. To comment further would be useless, given the circumstances of the venue. The sheer power was overwhelming...and yes, impressive. But you know...as I told Ghost afterwards...it's almost as if one was trying to take in the power and majesty of the "Great Wall of China" with his corneas pressed against the ancient bricks. Sound clarity suffered...as well as any consideration to balance. I will admit that this may be true only from our vantage point...but I can only say what was true from where we sat.

Boston Crusaders

1. As many on here already know, I'm a Trooper wonk (or honk -- I've seen it used both ways) through and through. BUT...I have to say this..."Hey, Troop. Love ya', guys (and ladies). And I'll never forsake you --EVER!!! But...the tiniest, though growing, part of my heart is slowly being inhabited by another. No, it's not an affair. Heck...we haven't even held hands. But...

2. I LOVE those uniforms under lights!!! The red seems just a little bit richer...and the sparkle of the silver brass provides incredible counterpoint to the primarily black portion of the uni. All told...yeah, I like it. I like it a lot.

3. Whoever was responsible for the choice of using Vaughan Williams' "5 Variants of Dives and Lazarus"...well...if you were a female, you'd be my new person of attention. I might even buy you an ice cream cone on a hot day. What's a simple date among musical friends, eh? This one REALLY provides a starkly dignified and almost heavenly power to the whole concept of "Conquest." Put it this way...if war could possess a benediction....this would be it. And, Ghost?? Just wanted to let you know, buddy...I wimped on this one. You just didn't catch it. Well, I think, anyway. The young lady's voice is perfect for this. In conquest, somebody always dies. SHE is the angel of life which provides hope. And that moment when she was holding the coloratura note...alone...and the high brass enter? You wouldn't believe the "aaaahhhhs" and audible gasps heard throughout the Shed. You can't hear it on the videos....but they were there. This one also succeeded in causing a large bruise on my other thigh. Ghost can attest to that one, too.

4. "I'm Shipping Up To Boston" is an unending favorite of mine. Maybe it's just me, but every time I hear BAC play this, it makes me believe that I'm attending some great festival in Killarney. Or Shannon. Or Limerick. It's Irish in feeling. It's Boston's in strength. And it's overwhelmingly BAC's in total.

5. "Giant". Benediction upon benediction. I can say no more.

Combined

1. You all are seeing and hearing the videos, I'm sure. Nothing I can add here. Simply, a perfect ending to the perfect night.

In conlu...no. I'll save that for a very important PM that's ahead of me.

I hope that I might have been just a little successful in helping those of you who were not in attendance to still feel like you were. I'll say no more,,,except to and for all my Massachusetts friends...WICKED PISSAH!!!!

Edited July 8, 2015 by HornTeacher

[Liahona]

Did I miss a video of Boston's performance? At least not on this thread. Still need help as how to take Monsieur Hammond's periscope link and enlarge the video as well as have it look right side up instead of on its side. Thanks.

OK I posted this in the BAC thread...but I guess it can go here as well...Enjoy...I sure did! :)

[Ghost]

Thank you Liahona for the video and to you Horn Teacher for a superb review (see, I told you you were the one to do it and do it right.) and a great 7 and a half hours of fellowship and drum corps in a way that may not be duplicated for years. Thank you for the kind words and I enjoyed watching you enjoy your visit behind the scenes of a drum corps and some of the people we spoke with. After you tour with the Troopers some year, hopefully Larry will still be on the kitchen trailer because you would love working with him.