So tonight marks the third time I’ve done the annual gig in Collingwood.  I have to admit, I’m a sucker for a school band crowd.  They’re usually very into whatever you play, they appreciate the music, clap at appropriate times, etc.  Helps too, when you have a good program to present to them.  Tonight’s selections:

• Mercury (Jan Van Der Roost)
• Colas Breugnon Overture (Dmitri Kabalevski)
• Fantasie, Theme and Variations on Carnival of Venice (played on Euphonium!)
• Concerto for Clarinet (Artie Shaw)
• La Fiesta (Bobby Herriott)
• Summon the Heroes (John Williams)
• Gandalf (Johan de Meij)
• Xylophonia (Joseph Green)
• Haven’t Met You Yet (Michael Bublé)
• Ireland:  Of Legend and Lore (Robert W. Smith)

As an MC, it makes the job so much easier when you have a workable audience.  I recall doing a job on this same run last year in Kingston where it was like pulling teeth.  Now mind you, the boss had asked me to tone down my “wild” MC’ing (as I am wont to do now and again), but still, it was like talking to nobody.

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As an afterthought, I figured I’d put in the substitutions that we did from Friday night’s performance

• Festivo (Edward Gregson) replaced Colas Breugnon
• Frenergy (John Estacio) replaced Gandalf
• Capriccio (Solo for Tuba) (Rodney Newton) replaced Xylophonia

I’ll keep posting set lists as we get through the gigs.