Westwind Concert Cut Short

The Sunday nights of June and several in July include a Westwinds Brass Band concert at Wagner park, sponsored by the Tech Terrace Neighborhood Association.  This past Sunday was their traditional "patriotic" concert.  It was cut short by inclement weather.  

I hope that they play it again this coming weekend. 

Westwind Brass Band Concert Cut Short

At this time of year, one of my favorite hours of the week is to attend the Westwind Brass Band Concert in the Park on Sunday night.  Last night was supposed to be their patriotic concert, including their salute to the members of the military who have served our country.

Due to ominous weather conditions, the concert started early.  The lightning was moving in from the south and the wind picked up. The schedule of songs changed, and the third song was changed to be the salute to the military branches. I decided during this song that my personal level of safety was exceeded by the closeness of the storm.  I picked up and went to my car. I did not want to be disrespectful, but others had also departed.

After I got to my car, and was getting ready to drive away, a police vehicle drove up.  The officer went down a side street near the park, and that was the street I take to go home, so I was right behind that car. The officer was stopped by a vehicle in front of him. I sat there with my windows open, and listened to the band, and the announcement that the concert was being cancelled due to the impending weather.  

I wonder if the police officer was there to tell the band to stop the concert, but did not have to because the director was wise enough to do so.  I did not stay to see what the police officer did, once we were able to drive on. The police car went down another side street abutting the park.  

Carole King Concert

Tonight, I went to the Fathom Events Presentation of Carole King-Tapestry  https://www.fathomevents.com/events/carole-king-tapestry.  This was recorded in Hyde Park, London, England in 2016.  It was a wonderful concert.  Many people from Carole's past made statements and presentations. This included Elton John http://www.eltonjohn.com/, and James Taylor http://www.jamestaylor.com/.  Her daughter performed with her, and the cast of Beautiful: The Carol King Musical in London https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautiful:_The_Carole_King_Musical joined her for a number.  

This was a most phenomenal concert.  There were over 65,000 people in Hyde Park.  They stood during the concert, and they all seemed to behave.  If there were any disturbances, it was not obvious.

Carole so appreciated the audience that she regularly and repeatedly asked them to join in with singing her songs, or to lead singing her songs. What a compliment to the audience. What a recognition of the mutual love and respect that Carole and the audience had for each other. 

I have been a Carole King fan since 1971, thanks to my best friend from college at that time.  I was not sure when the Tapestry album came out, but obviously, it was not too long after it came out that I was exposed to it, loved it, embraced it and have always cherished it.  I am so grateful to my friend for introducing me to Carole King. 

The amazing thing that this concert taught me was how many songs were written by Carole King and collaborators before 1971. She was a hit song writer in 1959 at age 17. She was phenomenal in 2016 at age 74.  She is an amazing person!  

I am so thankful I saw the concert.  

Fourth on Broadway

I went to the Fourth on Broadway https://www.broadwayfestivals.com/ event this year.  This is a long running (27 years) festival that used to be held entirely on Broadway, but a few years ago, it was moved so that the parade heads to the East side of Avenue A down Broadway and into Mackenzie Park, where the evening concert and fireworks show is held.  This is really better because the festival, in large part is on grass, and there is a lot of shade. I paid for parking on the hill this year, and that includes a free shuttle to and from the parking lot, except during the parade.  I took the shuttle back to the parking lot.

I sat at the top of the hill, in the sun, during the parade, because I wanted to put my folding chair back in the car before I went to the festival for the music.  I walked down the hill with so many other festival goers.  There is a bridge at this end of the park, and when it rains, the bridge floods.  We have had many evenings of night storms, and the bridge was flooded.  The city had large pumps, with large hoses emptying out the lake into the spillway on the other side of the bridge, but it was possible to walk through the several inches (3-4) of water to get into the park.  There were grassy areas of the festival that were flooded and muddy.  

I was disappointed today when I reached the music venue I wanted to enjoy.  It was not under a tent, in the shade as it used to be, but for some reason, it was parked under a tree in the shade, and the audience chairs were in the sun.  I sat through the first set, performed by the Lubbock Jazz Band, in the sun.  But before the Westwinds Brass Band started playing, I moved across the street to  the shade, as had many others.  It set up a strange situation:  The band was on one side of the street, the audience on the other. But the audience was appreciative, and the band could tell!

I was watching a show on National Geographic about John Kennedy http://www.natgeotv.com/za/jfk-seven-days-that-made-a-president this evening, and became oblivious to what else might be on TV. But after that was finished, I started looking and realized that I missed the National Memorial Day Concert https://tv.kttz.org/schedule/#page=schedule&day=20170528&provider=Broadcast

Laurence Fishburne and Joe Mantegna host the annual salute to America's military heroes. Performers include Renée Fleming, Vanessa Williams, Scotty McCreery, Five for Fighting, Ronan Tynan, Russell Watson and the National Symphony Orchestra. Gen. Colin Powell (USA Ret.), John Ortiz, Christopher Jackson and Ana Ortiz also appear. The event features a salute to the Doolittle Raiders presented by Gary Sinise and includes a look at music therapy for injured vets. From the U.S. Capitol's West Lawn.

I was able to watch the last half hour, and fortunately, it will be re-aired. So I will get to see the show.  Thank you PBS.  Which is why I send a small donation every month.

Concert

Recently, I purchased the DVD/CD combination of Andrea Bocelli Concerto One Night In Central Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concerto:_One_Night_in_Central_Park  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnK-NGAg2PU. I had seen it on PBS, but I am not sure if it was in 2011, when the concert was performed, or if it was an encore presentation.  Anyway, I remember being wowed by it. So when I saw the combination DVD/CD at Barnes and Noble, I purchased it.

I watched part of it the other night, but it is over 2 hours long, so did not see all of it at that time.  I did just watch it this afternoon.  I was wowed again.  The CD does not have all of the songs on it from the concert, but it has the best ones.  I am not sure what I like the best, but I think it is "The Prayer" is the best song from the concert. 

I am sure I did not recognize some of the stars who were shown in the crowd, but I did recognize one.  Donald Trump, http://www.trump.com/biography/ the man who is now our President. He is sort of hard to miss.

The Morman Tabernacle Choir's Christmas Concert

I was able to watch part of the 2015 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert https://www.mormontabernaclechoir.org/events/christmas-concerts.html 

This was a beautiful performance and a wonderful gift from the Church of the Latter Day Saints to the entire nation!  Thank you for your generosity!  This was just superb!

Patriotic Concert

The Westwind Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php Concert series is a favorite of mine. July 3 was the night of the annual patriotic concert, in which they play mostly patriotic songs, include the recognition of the 5 branches of the armed services. This is a favorite of mine, and it always ends too quickly.

I love the patriotic music.  I love the fervor of the crowd. And the crowd tonight was very large. I am glad. It says something about how the community appreciates their performances. It is a special part of the Independence Day Celebration.

The All Region High School Band Concert

The son of a friend of mine is a freshman in high school, and has achieved wonderful accomplishments in the high school and regional bands.

Today was the "All Regional High School Band Concert for Region XVI" for the Texas Music Educators Association  http://www.tmea.org/. I went to the concerts:  There was the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band.

They were wonderful performances.  The concerts were brief, less than 30 minutes. They started practicing on Friday morning.  What they accomplished in that short period of time was amazing!

There were three conductors:  Dr. Brandon Houghtalen, from Abilene Christian University who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, Eric Rath, from the Canyon Middle School who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the final conductor, for the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band, was Brian Britt, University of Oklahoma.

Mr. Houghtalen talked about the financial assistance that is available at universities for music majors.  Mr. Rath talked about the opportunity to work with students, and share his compositions (which were wonderful!). Mr. Britt said it was unfortunate that there was no news media present, to record the positive accomplishments of these students.  I agree.

This was a wonderful experience. 

Rain Again

The rain moved in again tonight.  It was moving in while I was at the Westwinds Brass Band Concert http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php.  I saw the lightning coming in. I watched the radar track the storm on my smart phone. I did not stay until the end of the concert. I am leery about lightning, and wanted to get inside.  I probably could have stayed for the end of the concert.  

The conductor, Phil Anthony, announced that they would shorten the concert.

But the rains have started, and there is some lightning and thunder.  But the center of the storm is not near.  Last night, the rains came and I had 1 and 2/3 inches of rain in the rain gauge. 

The weather forecasters are predicting a similar pattern for a few more days, but by the end of the week, it should clear.  Good.  I want the rain.  But we need a break, too.

West Winds Brass Band Concerts

One of my favorite summer activities is to attend the West Wind Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php concerts on Sunday nights in June and July, at Wagner Park.  The first of the season is tomorrow night, but I will miss it because the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Lubbock http://cclubbock.org/index.html Night to Remember fundraiser is tomorrow night. I regret the conflict, but I will enjoy going to the other concerts. And, I will enjoy the Night to Remember. 

The Air Force Band of the West

Tonight I went to the concert performed by the Air Force Band of the West http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/pdfs/USAF%20Band%202014.pdf  at the Texas Tech Museum .  Ostensibly, this was a Veteran's Day celebration.

I have been to several concerts at the museum over that last couple of years. For the first couple of concerts, the museum grossly under-estimated the seating needs, and was ill prepared to bring in extra chairs.

For this concert, the museum had over estimated the seating.  Having said that, there was a very good crowd, and we were very appreciative of the band, including giving them more than one standing ovation.

This was a very good concert.  It was a blatant commercial for recruiting to the armed services, but that is what I would expect. The caliber of the performance far out-weighed the marketing message.

Knitting in the Park

I attend the weekly Westwinds Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/index.php concert in Wagner Park when I am able.  They play every Sunday night in June, and into July.  Tonight was the last concert in the park for this summer season.  They play elsewhere. But this is my favorite venue.  They have played at the High Noon series  http://www.visitlubbock.org/calendar at the Lubbock County Courthouse, the patriotic concert and chorale at the First United Methodist Church, the Fourth on Broadway Stars and Stripes venue http://lubbockonline.com/local-news/2014-07-04/fourth-july-begins-broadway, and with the Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp Wind and Brass ensemble at the Texas Tech Museum http://www.depts.ttu.edu/museumttu/event.html, since the second of July.

They usually play at the Lions Club Pancake Festival http://lubbocklions.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=14 in the spring, the Fiesta at the Garden Arts Center http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/garden-arts-center/events in September, and they have a Christmas concert to raise funds for a music scholarship.

Well, when I attend one of their concerts, except for the Pancake Festival and Fiesta, I usually bring my knitting.  I am a fixture, and concert attendee regulars ask about my project, or why I do not have it, if I do not bring my knitting. I receive such warm comments about the beauty of the piece, the color, and sometimes, as folks want to touch it, the softness of the yarn.

Tonight, one of the boys who is regularly in the park came up to me, and said "hello."  He asked "Do you like knitting?"  I replied that I did.  I asked him if he knitted. He said "no" and ran off.

I get a lot done when I am knitting in the park.  But sometimes, I make a mistake. Well, that is not new.  I make mistakes when I am knitting at home or at other venues, also. So, I just have to take it apart, and figure it out.

D-Day, Part 2

So, I did go to the Silent Wings Museum http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/silent-wings-museum/home today.  I have never seen the parking lot that full, but they did two very smart marketing things:  They had the USO style concert scheduled, and later in the day, they were having a South Plains Honor Flight Reunion http://southplainshonorflight.org/.

I arrived in time for the USO Concert performed by Moonlight Musicals Directions http://www.lubbockmoonlightmusicals.org/youthensemble.html. I especially enjoyed the performance of "La Vie en Rose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feNVUwQA8U& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nCZHF1U1g8  The performer even had the little bit of the waiver in her voice as did Edith Piaf.  

I watched the DVD D-Day Remembered http://www.ebay.com/ctg/D-Day-Remembered-DVD-2004-2-Disc-Set-/43795577.  The volume was too low, and the background noise to great, to be able to hear it well.  But, I sat through it.

All in all, it was a good way to commemorate D-Day.

A Combined Band Concert

I attendted the combined concerto of the Westwinds Brass Band http://westwindsbrassband.org/ and the Texas Tech University Band Camp. I had heard about it a couple of weeks ago at the weekly Westwind Brass Band Concert in the Park: "10… Music@The Museum: A Patriotic Salute, 7pm, HDJones Sculpture Court. Features the Texas Tech Band Camp Honors Wind Ensemble, Sarah McKoin, director, and the Westwinds Brass Band, Phil Anthony, director, presented in partnership with the Museum of TTU. Join your community friends for a rousing hour of everyone’s favorite patriotic music. The west doors of the Museum (facing Indiana Avenue) will open at 6pm, allowing performance goers to enjoy a pre-concert visit to the Museum’s many galleries featuring a selection of exciting traveling and in-house exhibitions. This is a Museum Community Program event." The Westwinds Brass Band played more songs than the TTU Band camp band. This is right, the band camp band had only about 2 days two learn their music. The music was patriotic songs, most of them fairly common and the musicians may have been familiar with them. One of the songs the camp band played was a salute to the US Armed Forces: Army, Coast Guard, Navy, Marines and Air Force. This piece included "Easter Eggs" that is other patriotic songs hidden in the piece. The Westwinds play a salute to the 5 armed forces, but the piece they play is much less complex. The band camp band played the Texas Tech fight song. I wonder how many of them were prepared for the audience who knew when to clap, and when to "guns up." They also played the Texas Tech Matador Song. The finale was a combined performance of John Phillip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever." The audience was very savvy, and knew when to clap, when to stop, when to applaud the piccolo players, and when to stand for the finale. The band received a well deserved standing ovation. The band camp band is playing Saturday afternoon at Hemmle Hall. Parking on campus is a hassle, but I might mosey on down there to see if I can find a parking spot and attend the concert.