The Metropolitan Wind Symphony has received the singular honor of an invitation to perform at the 2012 Annual Conference of the Association of Concert Bands. Our Winter Concert will be a preview of the major works from that concert. Having said that, the opening work, Grainger's venerable band classic, Lincolnshire Posy, is not on the ACB concert; it is one of the MWS member choices for this season. The theme of the ACB concert is New York/the Hudson Valley, hence James Kessler's Hudson River Rhapsody, featuring our principal oboist, Elana Lorance. Frank Tichelli's Blue Shades is one of my favorites, an exciting work that will show off the remarkable ensemble skills of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony. Another member choice is Hindemith's March from "Symphonic Metamorphosis". One movement from Massenet's "Le Cid" ballet music precedes the beautiful and moving October, by Eric Whitaker. Finally, we will close this and the ACB concert with a relatively new (and quite wonderful) transcription of Gershwin's famed American classic work, An American in Paris. Don't miss this!