Barclay Brass plays Eric Whitacre's October

[hrender]

[bort2.0]

Very nice! Arrangement is very true to the original, but gets a little weird around 5:55 -- 6:10. The lead trumpet (Amy) sounded absolutely amazing, and as easy and natural as can be. Very cool!

I remember playing this in college, shortly after it was published... probably Fall 2000. Hearing this piece always takes me back to that.

[arpthark]

Very nice! Arrangement is very true to the original, but gets a little weird around 5:55 -- 6:10. The lead trumpet (Amy) sounded absolutely amazing, and as easy and natural as can be. Very cool!

I remember playing this in college, shortly after it was published... probably Fall 2000. Hearing this piece always takes me back to that.

You're a bit older than me, so for me this is the consummate "high school honor band" piece. I probably played it three times, and at least once at Kentucky.

I don't know if Eric is one of those composers that it's hip to dislike these days, but in high school that was the first time I had ever heard chords like these, and I thought it was (and is) quite beautiful.

[bort2.0]

Yeah... In college it was new and cool because of that. Was also one of the first concerts in the huge new performing arts complex, so that was neat too. We sounded legit!

Since then, most performances of it DO take me back, but also I get tired of them as they start to sound too academic.

Luckily, that was the one and only time I've performed this piece.

DeMeij is in the same category... Lord of the Rings especially. Ugh... Movements 1 & 5 and any high school band that can squawk their way through it.

We did that one in college too, but all of the movements and some rather dramatic narration. Neat for the time, but now... I'm good.

[edfirth]

Wow, that's Willie Clark on tuba. We worked together some at the Rat before they cut the tuba quartet. Wonderful player and guy. In fact, I set him up when I decided to leave Stetson and they, of course, loved him. Always a fabulous sound. Ed

[kingrob76]

Amy was recently named Principal Trumpet in The President's Own, so, yeah.... she can play. Barclay Brass typically arranges their own stuff. I've never NOT heard them sound phenomenal.

[sweaty]

I've heard this group in person a few times. Wonderful stuff! I encourage you to listen to all their YouTube videos. The leader and main arranger, Dave Miller, is a friend and great guy. I wish there was a group like this at my level I could play in.