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PR07 Vespertine Formations


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Did you listen to the Field Pass on dci.org where they were interviewing JD Shaw, PR Brass arranger/caption head? JD mentioned that Paul Rennick, Percussion Caption Head/arranger and UNT Percussion faculty, suggested the piece Vespertine Formations (right title?) for this year's show. Vespertine Formations refer to the (I think I'm getting this right) 'v'-shaped formations birds fly in. Correct me if I'm getting this wrong. Paul said he heard the piece at North Texas. This makes sense b/c Eugene Corporon, Wind Studies (Bands) Director likes to perform/record new and obscure wind music. Don't know if that is what this is.

So, someone in the know chime in...are there 'V'-shaped formations to be added into the show? How about pre-show bird formations flocking across the field, kind of like Bloooo's cool back and forth 'V' formation last year in pre-show?

Anyone? Anyone? Beuhler??

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I'm pretty sure I saw a Chevron, but then again, I was sitting about half way up in the stands, so I wouldn't be able to tell you exactly.

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Vespertine Formations is a piece for marimba quartet by Christopher Deane. Mr. Deane is on the percussion faculty at UNT and the piece was premiered there in 2003. It is the stuff in the very beginning of Regiments show played by the pit, then it comes back in later on.

From the liner notes:

The inspiration for Vespertine Formations was the chance observation of flock maneuvers performed by a huge number of birds over the UNT campus on an October evening in 2001. The wings motions of so many birds suggested the texture of constant sixteenth notes....

Edited by Kajarlo
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Vespertine Formations is a piece for marimba quartet by Christopher Deane. Mr. Deane is on the percussion faculty at UNT and the piece was premiered there in 2003. It is the stuff in the very beginning of Regiments show played by the pit, then it comes back in later on.

From the liner notes:

The inspiration for Vespertine Formations was the chance observation of flock maneuvers performed by a huge number of birds over the UNT campus on an October evening in 2001. The wings motions of so many birds suggested the texture of constant sixteenth notes....

Heh--I thought this was pretty funny. One man's inspiration is another's reason to duck and cover. (I wasn't quick enough last fall--there about a million of them overhead! Thank goodness for Hagar stain-resistant shirts.) Now it's not uncommon for North Texas to fire shotgun blanks at dusk to scare off the beautiful Vespertine Formations. Could make for some great GE effects for August... :P

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Heh--I thought this was pretty funny. One man's inspiration is another's reason to duck and cover. (I wasn't quick enough last fall--there about a million of them overhead! Thank goodness for Hagar stain-resistant shirts.) Now it's not uncommon for North Texas to fire shotgun blanks at dusk to scare off the beautiful Vespertine Formations. Could make for some great GE effects for August... :P

That's hysterical! It was the same thing when I was at UNT (graduated '91). "Pre-formation," the birds sat, and xxxx, on every building and tree in sight. It is just as well the Regiment is not depicting that part in their show..at least not yet.

:sshh:

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That's hysterical! It was the same thing when I was at UNT (graduated '91). "Pre-formation," the birds sat, and xxxx, on every building and tree in sight. It is just as well the Regiment is not depicting that part in their show..at least not yet.

:sshh:

Unspoken reason for the all-white uniforms being used again???

Glad I was wearing my favorite hat from tour one afternoon on campus--otherwise I would have had a vespertine formation plastered all over my face! Down with PETA--blast the little boogers!

And I agree, a couple of shotgun blasts might add valuable GE points! May have to hand out program notes to explain it, though.

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Did you listen to the Field Pass on dci.org where they were interviewing JD Shaw, PR Brass arranger/caption head? JD mentioned that Paul Rennick, Percussion Caption Head/arranger and UNT Percussion faculty, suggested the piece Vespertine Formations (right title?) for this year's show. Vespertine Formations refer to the (I think I'm getting this right) 'v'-shaped formations birds fly in. Correct me if I'm getting this wrong. Paul said he heard the piece at North Texas. This makes sense b/c Eugene Corporon, Wind Studies (Bands) Director likes to perform/record new and obscure wind music. Don't know if that is what this is.

So, someone in the know chime in...are there 'V'-shaped formations to be added into the show? How about pre-show bird formations flocking across the field, kind of like Bloooo's cool back and forth 'V' formation last year in pre-show?

Anyone? Anyone? Beuhler??

I also saw a Chevron in the drill, at some point, but the brass actually does do some flocking drill/visuals at the beginning of the show. They're in several groups, and within each V/wedge, they sequentially move then stop, with the point being the leader & stepping off first.

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ves·per·tine(vspr-tn) also ves·per·ti·nal (vspr-tnl)

adj.

1. Of, relating to, or occurring in the evening.

2. Botany Opening or blooming in the evening.

3. Zoology Becoming active in the evening, as bats and owls; crepuscular

B)

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When the corps was learning drill during the Memorial Day weekend, it was explained to the members that during the Flower Duet, the corps makes a number of vespertine vormations (bird wings) and they then float across the field with the center of the formation moving either front or back field to make it appear as if the birds' wings are moving.

You can't really see this from a low vantage point, but yes, the vespertine visual is in the field.

Also, the way the free from drill flows at the very beginning of the show is probably very similar to the randomness of the birds at UNT. However, I've never been to UNT to observe this for myself.

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