----- Original Message ----- 
From: Randy Cabell 
To: VA-HIST history 
Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 1:11 PM
Subject: Try again...


I must be doing something wrong.  I tried to send this this morning and got it back, so I'll try again.......
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Without the good people of VA-HIST, my Jamestown 2007 efforts would be puny indeed.  So as partial thanks, I want to (1) update you on where we stand and (2) extend an invitation to be a part of it.

(1) Mary Kay and I have just returned from a week in Poland, the major objective being to run down THE TRUMPETER OF KRAKOW.  We did!!!  A trumpeter from the Krakow fire brigade is on duty 24/7 and plays the 13th century bugle call every hour on the hour.  (Can you imagine the complaints in Richmond if such was done from the top of the Marriott ?!!!?)  I presented a copy of my march THE TRUMPETER OF JAMESTOWNE to the commandant of the fire brigade, so established a nice link between Jamestown 1607/2007 and Krakow 1245.

The biggest news is that the CD which was only a gleam in my eye has now grown from six 1907 marches + my TRUMPETER -- total about 20 minutes -- to 80 minutes!!!!  A good bit of it due entirely to VA-HIST.  First, I found my way to Joe Mosier and the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk and he sent copies of the programs.  David Diggs at Lehigh University homed in on Victor Herbert's AMERICAN FANTASIE which was performed a couple of times there -- he ran down original parts and transcribed the whole selection for modern concert band (replaced the Eb alto horns and choke..gasp... Db piccolo.)  He also completed the 1807 music as I reported earlier.  

Again, thanks to VA-HIST, I found a copy of the 19-page choral parst to THE OFFICIAL HYMN of the exposition.  It is far more than a hymn... smacks of Brahm's choral works, and anticipates Randall Thompson's TESTAMENT OF FREEDOM by about 35 years.  I transcribed the accompaniment from piano to brass sextet + kettle drums (what else :)) and I then transcribed the whole thing for wind ensemble.  So all its 11 minutes will be on the CD, but more later on where you come in.

Perhaps the biggest coups of all was getting permission from MGM (I think that is right altho it might have been Warner Brothers) and James Horner to transcribe his NEW WORLD music from orchstra to wind ensmble.  The music and the scenary were reported (on VA-HIST as I recall ) as the high points of an otherwise lackluster film.  I'm guessing this will be another 10-12 minutes when completed.

I think the Lehigh Wind Ensemble will be part of the celebration that big weekend in May, so you can get your CDs autographed!!!

(2) I have suggested to the leadership of the Jamestowne Society and to the people at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation who are working on the May program that they put together some sort of choral extraveganza to get people all over Virginia involved as a part of this once-in-a-century celebration.  There was a 1907 Jamestown Festival Chorus which among other things peformed THE OFFICIAL HYMN.  My suggestion is to do something similar next May.  Get a noted director, set up a program, do as the Yale alumni musical societies to -- make a CD of the music to practice with and send it out with the sheet music to anybody who is interested -- and then bring everybody together that weekend for a rehearsal, performance and recording!!!!  Sure there are logistical and $$$ problems, but it can be done if enough people get behind it.  

If you like the idea, then write the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation and say 'sign me up!'  If you want to hear the hymn and see a page from the score, just let me know your snail-mail address and I'll send you a brochure and a pocket CD.

Thank you again, VA-HIST.

Randy Cabell

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