Posted by Klaus on June 29, 2001 at 14:12:12:
In Reply to: funniest mistake/act of disobedience posted by James McNeil on June 29, 2001 at 13:29:56:
A strong I was on discipline as a conductor, as big a swine I was as a young band member. I was a close personal friend of my bandmaster, teaching his son first baritone and then tuba. So I was extremely aware of his sore points, as he was and is a great musician thinking way ahead of actual musical happenings:
His younger brother played 1st bone in the brass band. My later successor as bandmaster in anothet band was apprenticing on the 2nd bone. I had the bass bone part as base for my terrorism.
We read through "Prelude to Revelry" (by Percy Grainger?) at a rehearsal. Bone section had 2 times 16 bars of rest. Your humble terrorist convinced all of the section to lift the bones and get a wild expression in the eyes one or two measures ahead of the first double bar.
Causing the bandmaster to wave off: "You bones are not supposed to play until the next double bar!"
Having your welknown, but not really humble, terrorist, in his most honeysuckled voice, ask: "Did you hear us fire just one single shot?"
Silentium, then da capo:
Klaus