Music of Note...

I'm a big ole band geek, I think everyone knows that. I often go out on the music websites and listen to recordings of band music just to hear what is out there and hope that one day I'll be asked to make a suggestion on what I'd like to play in some concert. Trust me, I'm prepared for that question (take note, Mr. New CPSB Director). Well, as I was listening today, I found a new favorite.

Robert W. Smith has been one of my favorite composers for a long time, probably since I played Songs of Sailor and Seas with the JC Winds 5 years or so ago. Well, the piece I found today is called Northwoods: Of Might and Mettle. It is supposed to reminicent of the life of a Lumberjack...

This is a musical depiction of the day of a lumberjack in the late 1800s during the great logging drives in Wisconsin. The work begins with "Daylight in the Swamp," a mysterious setting reminiscent of the early morning conditions. It then transitions to "Waking the Camp" and develops to "Felling the Trees," a very dynamic segment. "The Ice Breaks" and "On the River" draw the composition to a serious conclusion.

I especially like the last 2 minutes or so. It almost makes me wish I were a woodwind!