George Meyer will have his debut performance leading the Schoharie Valley Concert Band (SVCB) at the SVCB’s 45th Fall Concert on Sunday, October 18 at 3PM. The concert will be held in the Cobleskill-Richmondville HS Auditorium. Admission is open to the general public with students admitted free.
George Meyer’s experience includes teaching instrumental music and directing the Middleburgh CSD band for 34 years and conducting the Middleburgh Community Band for 29 summers.
Conductor Meyer has selected a diverse program which includes two new pieces. “Blackstar Alpha” by Jarod Hall is a 2025 piece which has clever and imaginative musical variations on the themes to “Bah, Bah Black Sheep” and the “Alphabet Song”. This David Bowie inspired piece is twisted, turned, and reassembled with changing themes and textures.
“There is Another Sky” written by Vince Gassi in 2026 is a majestic, heroic piece featuring the brass sections. It has frequent tempo and style changes shifting between bold statements, fast and light passages, and slower lyrical sections.
“Stone Gardens” written by Robert W. Smith in 2016 is dedicated to the men and women of the military. The somber trumpet solo played by Brian Swanhall at the beginning conjures memories of conflicts past and present. It is followed by a beautiful hymn paying homage to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
“An American Spectacular” is a 2011 Chris Sharp arrangement timeline of America which begins when the country was still a British colony with “God Save the Queen”. It progresses forward with “The Girl I left Behind”, “Chester”, “Hail Columbia”, “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”, “The Battle Cry of Freedom”, “Over There”, and “America, the Beautiful”.
“River of Life” is the first of a long line of wonderful band compositions written by Steven Reineke in 1995. The piece begins with a gentle, flowing brass solo section with a sparkling percussion accompaniment. A woodwind melodic statement is then answered by a trumpet fanfare. The piece is full of soaring melodies, unique harmonies, and exciting rhythms and tempo changes.
“Folk Dances” is James Curnow’s 1987 arrangement of Dmitri Shostakovich’s popular wind band piece which was originally written in 1943. Many Soviet-era folk dances are combined in an accelerating string which evokes the joy and exuberance of the Russian people.
Two marches round out the Fall Concert program. “The Black Horse Troop March” was written by John Philip Sousa in 1924. Sousa’s love of horses is reflected in this march dedicated to the mounted horses of the Cleveland National Guard Unit.
In “Robinson’s Grand Entrée March” written in 1911, composer Karl L. King omitted his customary specific dedication, so that the march could be claimed and played by each of the three major circus bands of that era.
The Schoharie Valley Concert Band is open to area residents including high school and college students. Thursday rehearsals are from 7-9:15 PM. in the Cobleskill-Richmondville HS band room. October 22nd is the first rehearsal for the Saturday, December 5, 7PM Holiday Concert. To join the band, contact Conductor George Meyer at svcbconductor@gmail.com.