Christmas Music Surprise

So, this semester, I looked over my schedule, and regretfully said, "I won't have time for more than one music ensemble. I'll go with Jazz Band."

The logic here was that I actually learn something in Jazz Band. Not from Chuck - Chuck doesn't really teach music, he just encourages it and gets all of us to play together well. I learn quite a bit about Jazz from Dan, though. Dan is the rockin' first alto who sometimes carries the entire sax section, if not the band itself. Dan has lots of music experience. Dan graduated at least five years ago, and Chuck might not even let Dan leave Jazz Band if he dies.

Of course, then it became apparent that, sometime between the last concert and this fall, the second alto part had gone missing. Hmmm. This is not good. There are about 80 charts in said folder. A substantial percentage of them are now out-of-print, so we can't even order replacements.

Astonishingly, it soon became blindingly obvious that there is absolutely no need for three first alto saxes when there is no second part. Admittedly, in a band that has four percussionists and five guys on guitar, "surplus" does seem to be the name of the game, but this is taking things just a hair too far. We really only need one first alto, but sense can be seen in supposedly training in someone under Dan. This is of course suggesting that we will someday not have Dan and will need a replacement, which is plainly untrue, but we sort of gloss over that notion.

(I would understand having four percussionists in Concert Band. In Jazz, you have the set, and maybe somebody else on traps. You shouldn't need anyone else. Actually, we need decent percussionists in Concert Band, because there are three new guys back there who could use some direction, and possibly confidence to go with it.)

So, after it also became obvious that the only tenor available in my house (we have two, but one of them is simply not shared. It's pretty much a question of honor - it'd be like asking your Dad if you could borrow his Jaguar to go deer hunting. "I'm sorry, what?!" Like that.) was a beast that I would need four months to tame (it's a mite stubborn), I had a chat with Chuck and said I'd be back whenever he got the second part replaced. Because, really, they don't need three first altos.

I am perfectly aware that Chuck will be getting nothing done about this until at least summer, at the earliest. Possibly summer of 2015. It's Chuck.

So then what happens? Well, somehow, they need another second alto for the Concert Band. I would ordinarily disagree with this, but I've played with them - he's right. So, somehow, I get to be part of the Christmas Concert. Okay, this'll be fun, the Christmas concert always is. I know I'm going to miss being in Jazz Band, and especially Aires, but Christmas is great!

Interestingly, Chuck knew that one of the four nights that he wanted me for would be the night that I was already committed elsewhere. By curious coincidence, this is the exact night that first sold out. Astonishing.

On Wednesday - Wednesday - the week before the concert, two of the girls from choir grabbed me and said, "We need another alto." Right. Uh huh. I've not been in choir for the entire semester. I will be making two daily rehearsals before this concert. And I'm sight-reading all this. Faaaaantastic.

And then I sang with them. And, yes, they either need to get another alto, or clear out a third of each of the other sections. So, very well, I commit to this one as well (with the exception of sold-out night).

Well, this actually isn't so bad. More than half of the choir music is repeated every year, and by another fascinating coincidence, one of the more rhythmically challenging pieces is one that my other show choir did last year. General Delivery drilled music in a way that the Aires never do. I'll have this one solid until I'm thirty, at least. So, okay, there are two pieces that I'm a little unsure about, but I should be able to make them work.

And then what happens? Today, Chuck mentions something about the second part, and the agreement I'd made - and it was pointed out that if he gets it together in time for the concert, even if I haven't been in rehearsal, he gets me back in Jazz Band for the Christmas Concert.

At this point, I just have to laugh. Yes, I'd do it, and I have a blast playing with the Jazz Band, and since a lot of the Christmas music for Jazz is big on enthusiasm and small on challenge, we'd be okay - but, man. I thought I was getting out of music this semester!