WPCNR WHITE PLAINS BATON & DOWNBEAT. Review By John F. Bailey. March 2, 2003: Close to one thousand proud parents and relatives from around the county heard two grand reasons why Westchester County is the leading county in the state in quality musical education at the 46th Annual Elementary & Intermediate All-County Band Musical Festival Saturday afternoon.
INTERMEDIATE BAND ALL-STARS TAKE A BOW, lead by their Conductor, Robert Dalpiaz, after their flawless performance at Purchase Performing Arts Center Saturday afternoon. The 7th, 8th and 9th Graders represented 41 Middle & High Schools in Westchester County.
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After only three rehearsals, both the elementary and intermediate school band all-stars representing 96 schools in the county, navigated their way with precision, passion, and power. They blended as if they had been playing together for years performing a series of musical tour de forces that showed off the the abilities of every instrumental discipline in the bands.
Judy O’Savio, President of the Westchester County School Music Association introduced the program and encouraged parents in the audience to write their legislators in Albany and make a strong case for the music programs in the schools, and to restore budgeted cuts.
She introduced Warren Arbiter, Chairperson of the Elementary Band who noted that the value of the county band experience for his 139 musicians and elementary music at large is that it introduces them to “the aestheticism of live music” creating the future generation of concertgoers, performers and supporters of the arts.
With that, Mr. Arbiter introduced the 139-musician Elementary Band lead off the program under the baton of Chris Melito, Director of the Middle School Bands in Briarcliff Manor. Melito lead them in a crisp, tight, and refreshing performance of Sousa’s “Washington Post March.” This perennial marching band favorite had a mellow surging roll to it with the flutes outstanding on their solo, with just the right blending of take over trombones in the middle section of the piece with trumpets taking charge with crystalclear uplifting tone on their solo turn.
From Sousa the band moved into “Hillcrest Pageant,” which found the musicians creating waves of musical circus scenes, section by section. Again on “Pageant” the trumpets simply dazzled.
THE ELEMENTARY ALL COUNTY BAND ALL-STARS, being conducted by Chris Melito of Briarcliff Manor Schools Saturday afternoon. On “Carnaval De Brasil,” the elementaries impressed this reporter with the percussion section abilities at Grade 4, 5, and 6 level to create the sultry marimba-samba beat of “Carnaval De Brasil.”
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Their Latin rhythm with whistles, bells, and maracas simply fascinated, transporting and engaging the audience to Rio. Considering that many of the young people have probably never heard a samba, their ability to get it just right is a tribute to Mr. Melito’s ability. The French Horns and trumpets answered each other flawlessly, weaved together by the trade winds of the percussion section. Unlike a march, the samba features a lot of solo work on “Carnaval”, section by section, and all the young musicians came in right on the beat.
The elementaries wrapped with the Glenn Miller standard, “In the Mood,” arranged in a stately, slow, swinging tempo that you could tell the children really enjoyed playing. The audience was highly impressed with sharp, loud applause for the variety of the program, and the simply amazing musicianship.
Elliot Semel, Intermediate Band Chair introduced the Intermediate All-County Band under the baton of Robert Dalpiaz, Director of the Brentwood (L.I.) High School Concert Band. Semel said the 118 young artists had “become an ensemble,” over the last three days, and had learned “the art of teamwork,” crediting much of this to Conductor Dalpiaz. The musicians (both bands) practice together as a group once in January, once on the Friday before the concert, and once on the day of the concert. The performances the audience heard Saturday are testimony to how good the young players are and how skilled their conductors are at conveying the intricacies of the selections.
The Intermediate Band began with Sousa’s “El Capitan,” where the trombones were mellow, the clarinets crisp in holding the light airiness of this famous march, that the brasses filled out with majesty, elegance. Baritones and French Horns cast a golden horizon as the march wound up to a smart punchy conclusion.
The grand “Gathering of the Ranks at Hebron” with its varying tempos and vistas created by the various sections was painted with dignity and grandeur by the band. You could visualize the regiments marching onto the grounds each with a different character, elegantly precisely rendered.
The Intermediates even produced a friendly “Bach Prelude and Fugue in Bb Major,” that featured impressive solo work, section by section. But, in this reporter’s opinion Bach does not belong in a band program. In fact, it lulled the audience, who could not wait for it to be over, clapping at the natural breaks. The band played it well, but next, year, let’s forget about Bach for band. Save it for the orchestra.
The concluding piece of the afternoon, “Variation Overture” turned the band loose to create more precise impressions. It became a band of vistas, horizons, and colors painting musical impressionistic paintings that allowed the pictures in the mind to perform. The percussion section in the Intermediates really shown in this one, producing a variation of stirring percussionistic effects and tones that delivered impeccable strong foundations for the various sections’ artists rendering the musical canvases. The young man with the bells was especially timely and authoritative.
Having seen two of these All-County Band Concerts now, I have to say and listeners agreed in my section this was a solid performance by both bands. The Intermediate had an edge in sound and artistry, while the Elementary had much more interesting repertoire and nailed it.
The All-County Band program is a tremendous undertaking and quite a miracle really. Saturday’s performances were a tribute to the talent of Conductors Melito and Dalpiaz for their ability to marshall “the young professionals” into bands that appeared to have been playing together for years not just three days. The youngsters seemed to enjoy it, too. This is achieved by the individual sections rehearsed separately on their parts, then joining the bands for full “sound checks” at the end of the rehearsals. It works based on Saturday’s marvelous and inspiring perfomrance. You forgot these students were mostly under 13 years old, and as young as 9.
The only phenomena that I noticed was that despite a “rainbow coalition” of caucasian, hispanic and asian nationalities in both bands, the groups were sadly missing a basic color, black. There were no African-American representatives. Hopefully, the Westchester County School Music Association might address ways to make it more possible to encourage young black musicians in the future years of this wonderful venture.
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