30 Years - A Retrospective
Lydia and Jerry Gardner's kitchen in Newton, Massachusetts was a favorite gathering place for Jerry's high school band musicians, especially after graduation. They often noted that there were few, if any, adult bands in which to play. After several years of student pressure, Jerry organized the Metropolitan Wind Symphony. Rehearsals began in the fall of 1971, and to fill out the ranks, area music students and music educators were recruited. By March of 1972, the group was ready for its premiere performance at Sanders Theater. This was followed in June by a videotaped concert at the DeCordova museum in Lincoln, later broadcast on WGBH-TV. Both performances featured Peter Mennin's new work for band, Canzona, and a newly discovered work by Rossini, still in manuscript, March No. 2. Members of the Newton Youth Chorus participated in the premiere performance as did MWS co-founder and first Assistant Conductor Tom Everett. The 1972-73 season was particularly memorable for two MWS members, Torben and Leslie Hansen, who earned the distinction of being the first "MWS marriage."
When Jerry moved to New Jersey, Gary Good took over as Music Director for the 1973-74 season. The season highlight was Floyd Werle's Concertino for Three Brass and Band, arranged for the U.S. Air Force Band. John Stevens and Gary Shaw were the guest soloists. MWS members also fondly recall an impromptu performance of Sousa's Washington Post March for the startled participants of a Boston Symphony softball game.
In 1974, Rowland E. Sylvester, Jr., "Ron", a member of the MWS, traded in his trumpet for a baton and began his eight-year tenure as Music Director. During these years, the MWS continued to grow and flourish with additions to membership, audience, repertoire, and performance opportunities. Guest appearances by the Boston Brass Quintet, Tom Everett, Armando Ghitalla and Robert J. Lurtsema highlighted the seasons' schedules. To mark its 10th anniversary, the MWS commissioned its first original work for wind ensemble. Peter Hazzard's Landmark Suite, a piece in five movements describing famous Boston scenes. MWS brass and woodwind ensembles were featured regularly at performances as were MWS member soloists: Don Burleson, Frank Fox, Torben Hansen, Seb Bonaiuto, Stan Whitlock and Peter Jordan. The first student soloist the MWS presented was John Henry from Westwood. Annual softball games, with the woodwinds versus the brass, were memorable occasions for MWS members and their families during these years.
In 1982, Ron returned to the trumpet after passing the baton to Peter Loel Boonshaft. Under Peter's direction the MWS repertoire further expanded with more contemporary literature. A highlight of his four years with the MWS was the premiere of Elliot Del Borgo's Symphonic Variations, commissioned by the MWS to commemorate its 15th anniversary. Guest soloists included Chester Schmitz, Edward Larsen and Tom Everett. MWS member soloists included Evan Lattimore and Stan Adelman. To further challenge MWS members, Peter began the tradition of member concerto competitions and David Demorest had the honor of being the first soloist. The student concerto competition was won by Boston Latin student, Jean McCall, and the position of Assistant Conductor was filled by Bernadette Horgan.
Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr, "Bill", joined the MWS as Music Director in 1986. While increasing the size of the ensemble, Bill also attracted many fine musicians to membership in the MWS and showcased the ensemble in a variety of performances. The MWS premiered Vaclav Nelhybel's Concerto for Tuba and 15 Instruments, written for and performed by Gary Buttery, principal tubist with the U.S. Coast Guard Band. Other soloists included Lynn Klock and Sam Pilafian. Jonathan Fox of Norwood won the student concerto competition and Casey Teske, Beth Bryant, Gerald Dolan and Colleen Foley assisted with conducting duties. Highlights of Bill's four-year tenure included a performance at the CBDNA Convention at UNH and the premiere of our third commissioned work, In the Fading Light by Greg Tucker at the 1989 MENC All Eastern Convention in Boston. The first Boston Festival of Bands was held at Faneuil Hall in May 1989 with Armenian Dances bringing down the house. Another memorable occasion featured MWS members dressed in Halloween costumes at the first Norwood Children's concert.
During the 1990-91 season the MWS was privileged to work with seven of the areas finest conductors: Frank Battisti, Fran Marciniak, Tom Everett, Eric Rombach, Jim O'Dell, Ron Sylvester and David Martins. MWS member soloists included Torben Hansen, Daphne Howard, and MWS Concerto Competition winner Assunta Croft.
In July 1991, David Martins was offered and accepted the position of MWS Music Director. since that time David has greatly enhanced the artistic presentation of the ensemble by utilizing a professional announcer, Peter Ross, and a more diverse, multicultural programming style. Guest soloists have included Mary Ellen Miller, shakuhachi; Jean Danton, soprano; William Buonocore, classical guitar; the Atlantic Brass Quintet, the Yankee Rhythm Kings, Stanley M. Hoffman, voice; Maureen Horgan, euphonium; Robert Sullivan, trumpet; and Ron Barron, trombone.
MWS soloists and concerto competition winners include Julie Stuckenschneider, Betsy Thorpe, Jim Becker, Jeff Hoefler, Gabriela Yagupsky Dech, Peter Ross, David Martins and Kirk Schroeder.
The position of MWS Assistant Conductor has been ably filled by Bart Heefner, Sandra Carlson-Wood, and this year, Robert Franzblau.
Continuum - a series founded in 1992 - involves local middle and high school bands, the members of Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble, the MWS and various New England university bands in educational interaction and outreach. In 1993, the Harvard University Concert Band was the first university band to participate in Continuum along with Harmonie, a professional ensemble-in-residence at UMASS Lowell. They were followed by the Air Force Band of Liberty Woodwind Quintet, UMASS Lowell Wind Ensemble, Northeastern University Wind Ensemble and, this season, the Boston College Concert Band, conducted by former MWS member Seb Bonaiuto. Student musician concerts, held alternate years, feature members of local school bands. Most recently the Norwood Junior and Senior High Bands and the Natick Middle Winds and Natick High School Symphonic band have performed with the MWS.
In 1994 the MWS was honored to be selected to perform at the Association of Concert Bands National Convention in Burlington, VT. This was our first major performance outside of Massachusetts.
The MWS' investment in the wind band repertoire continued during our 25th anniversary with commissioned works by Peter Schickele and James Curnow. In 1995 a MWS Commissioning Fund was established through the generosity of anonymous donors. The proceeds of this fund have allowed us to commission works by Guy Woolfenden (1998), Allen Feinstein (1999), Marjorie Merryman (1999) and this season, Greg Sanders. Perhaps the highlight of these recent commissions was Marjorie Merryman's Mountain Legends, a piece for concert band and clarinet solo written expressly for our very own music director, David Martins, to perform on clarinet with us.
For the tenth anniversary of the Boston Festival of Bands we "went national" by inviting the Perinton Concert Band from Fairport, NY to perform. They were followed in 1999 by the Hanover Wind Symphony, Hanover, NJ and in 2000 we "went international" with the Lakeshore Concert Band of Montreal, Quebec, Canada!
The past 29 years have been filled with musical milestones as well as many happy memories. A number of us have been privileged to see the MWS grow into one of the finest ensembles of its kind in the nation. Having played a small part in its success, along with hundreds of volunteers, we extend best wishes and thanks to everyone who has helped the MWS along the way. We couldn't have succeeded without you. Happy 30th, MWS!
