The concert Saturday night (May 9) honoring local music legend Emil
Pacetti will feature “a very interesting mix of music,” according to
Craig Gall.
Gall, the Kenosha Pops Band’s musical director, said the varied program of music “is filled with pieces Emil either liked over the years or requested over the years.” Many of the pieces honor Pacetti’s Italian heritage.
Pacetti — a musician and music education supporter — died Sept. 16 at age 75. He operated Pacetti’s Music Unlimited from 1976 until late 2009 and could be found at area student music events, repairing instruments for students.
Gall and Pacetti’s wife, Marsha Lee, “hammered out the program” together.
Along with Pops Band favorites, the program features pieces that are new to the Pops Band’s library, Gall said.
“We bought some pieces for this concert — the love theme from the movie ‘Cinema Paradiso’ is new and the ‘Pie in the Face Polka’ is new.”
“Cinema Paradiso” — from the 1988 Italian film — will feature Garrett Kornman playing the alto saxophone solo.
Kornman is the assistant conductor of the Pops Band — of which Pacetti was a member for close to 50 years.
“The Pie in the Face Polka” is from the 1965 comedy “The Great Race” and will feature clarinet players Tim Bell, Tony Surowiak and Pam Harrison.
“Emil played the clarinet, so we wanted a clarinet feature,” Gall said. “All three of our soloists were friends with Emil.” Gall added that the Dorf Kappelle German band he’s a member of plays this polka quite often “and Emil really liked to hear it — the clarinets have to play that fast melody.”
The piece was written by Henry Mancini — another great Italian, Gall added.
“Badger Legionnaire March.”
The tune was written by George Manupella, who conducted the American Legion Band, which eventually became the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, from 1924 to 1961.
“Badger Legionnaire” will be conducted by another Pops Band veteran — Frank Germinaro, a longtime musician with the band who was conductor from 1994 to 2003, when Gall took over.
“Emil loved that piece,” Germinaro said. “It is made up of tunes from his region of Italy, so he recognized a lot of them. I always played it for Emil.”
Other pieces on Saturday’s program include:
* “Come Back to Sorrento” by Ernesto de Curtis. “This is a beautiful arrangement by Sammy Nestico,” Gall said. “The Pops Band has been playing this for at least 40 years or so. Emil played clarinet on this many times, I’m sure.”
* “Nessun Dorma” (from the opera “Turandot”) by Giacomo Puccini.
* Highlights from “Exodus” by Ernest Gold and arranged by Alfred Reed.
* “Parade of the Charioteers” (from the movie “Ben Hur”) by Miklos Rozsa, arranged by Robert Hawkins.
* “Italian Festival,” a medley arranged by Glenn Osser that includes “Summertime in Venice” and the love theme from “La Strada.”
* “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Nabucco.” Jim Ripley, the band director at Carthage College, is conducting this piece. Greg Berg will be the vocal soloist.
“Emil always liked hearing these pieces,” Gall said. “He loved ‘Exodus’ and requested that piece at least twice since I’ve been the Pops Band conductor. He was a big fan of the movie’s main theme.” That main theme won Song of the Year at the 1961 Grammy Awards, the only instrumental song to receive that award to date.
* “Trumpeter’s Lullaby” by Leroy Anderson, featuring soloist Mark Eichner.
“Mark Eichner is doing ‘Trumpeter’s Lullaby’ for two reasons,” Gall explained. “Emil loved Leroy Anderons music — and he wanted to play the trumpet as a little boy. He was pushed toward playing clarinet” because the local band had enough trumpet players. Also, Gall said, “We wanted to include Mark, obviously. He founded the UW-Parkside Community Band, which Emil was a part of for so long.”
* “To Dance in the Secret Garden” by Robert W. Smith. Laura Rexroth, the new UW-Parkside band director, is directing this piece.
* The concert will open with the American and Italian national anthems and includes another piece close to Pacetti’s heart — “Il Silenzio” (The Silence). This tune showcases the band’s trumpets.
The 1965 Italian number was written as a memorial piece and was first played on the 20th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II. Pacetti purchased “Il Silenzio” for the Pops Band, Gall said, to honor his father, who was killed during World War II.
“I’m so glad we were able to play the piece last summer, so Emil could hear it at a concert.”
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Indian Trail High School, 6800 60th St.
Admission: Free; donations will be collected for The Pacetti Project (P.O. Box 1856) to be used for local student music programs. Also, Kenosha Pops Concert Band CDs featuring Pacetti will be sold at the concert.
Gall, the Kenosha Pops Band’s musical director, said the varied program of music “is filled with pieces Emil either liked over the years or requested over the years.” Many of the pieces honor Pacetti’s Italian heritage.
Pacetti — a musician and music education supporter — died Sept. 16 at age 75. He operated Pacetti’s Music Unlimited from 1976 until late 2009 and could be found at area student music events, repairing instruments for students.
Gall and Pacetti’s wife, Marsha Lee, “hammered out the program” together.
Hammering out a program
“Each piece was a favorite of Emil’s or is connected to an instrument he played, or are Italian pieces,” Lee said.Along with Pops Band favorites, the program features pieces that are new to the Pops Band’s library, Gall said.
“We bought some pieces for this concert — the love theme from the movie ‘Cinema Paradiso’ is new and the ‘Pie in the Face Polka’ is new.”
“Cinema Paradiso” — from the 1988 Italian film — will feature Garrett Kornman playing the alto saxophone solo.
Kornman is the assistant conductor of the Pops Band — of which Pacetti was a member for close to 50 years.
“The Pie in the Face Polka” is from the 1965 comedy “The Great Race” and will feature clarinet players Tim Bell, Tony Surowiak and Pam Harrison.
“Emil played the clarinet, so we wanted a clarinet feature,” Gall said. “All three of our soloists were friends with Emil.” Gall added that the Dorf Kappelle German band he’s a member of plays this polka quite often “and Emil really liked to hear it — the clarinets have to play that fast melody.”
The piece was written by Henry Mancini — another great Italian, Gall added.
Pops Band connections
Pops Band veterans will no doubt recognize another piece on the program —“Badger Legionnaire March.”
The tune was written by George Manupella, who conducted the American Legion Band, which eventually became the Kenosha Pops Concert Band, from 1924 to 1961.
“Badger Legionnaire” will be conducted by another Pops Band veteran — Frank Germinaro, a longtime musician with the band who was conductor from 1994 to 2003, when Gall took over.
“Emil loved that piece,” Germinaro said. “It is made up of tunes from his region of Italy, so he recognized a lot of them. I always played it for Emil.”
Other pieces on Saturday’s program include:
* “Come Back to Sorrento” by Ernesto de Curtis. “This is a beautiful arrangement by Sammy Nestico,” Gall said. “The Pops Band has been playing this for at least 40 years or so. Emil played clarinet on this many times, I’m sure.”
* “Nessun Dorma” (from the opera “Turandot”) by Giacomo Puccini.
* Highlights from “Exodus” by Ernest Gold and arranged by Alfred Reed.
* “Parade of the Charioteers” (from the movie “Ben Hur”) by Miklos Rozsa, arranged by Robert Hawkins.
* “Italian Festival,” a medley arranged by Glenn Osser that includes “Summertime in Venice” and the love theme from “La Strada.”
* “The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Nabucco.” Jim Ripley, the band director at Carthage College, is conducting this piece. Greg Berg will be the vocal soloist.
“Emil always liked hearing these pieces,” Gall said. “He loved ‘Exodus’ and requested that piece at least twice since I’ve been the Pops Band conductor. He was a big fan of the movie’s main theme.” That main theme won Song of the Year at the 1961 Grammy Awards, the only instrumental song to receive that award to date.
* “Trumpeter’s Lullaby” by Leroy Anderson, featuring soloist Mark Eichner.
“Mark Eichner is doing ‘Trumpeter’s Lullaby’ for two reasons,” Gall explained. “Emil loved Leroy Anderons music — and he wanted to play the trumpet as a little boy. He was pushed toward playing clarinet” because the local band had enough trumpet players. Also, Gall said, “We wanted to include Mark, obviously. He founded the UW-Parkside Community Band, which Emil was a part of for so long.”
* “To Dance in the Secret Garden” by Robert W. Smith. Laura Rexroth, the new UW-Parkside band director, is directing this piece.
* The concert will open with the American and Italian national anthems and includes another piece close to Pacetti’s heart — “Il Silenzio” (The Silence). This tune showcases the band’s trumpets.
The 1965 Italian number was written as a memorial piece and was first played on the 20th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during World War II. Pacetti purchased “Il Silenzio” for the Pops Band, Gall said, to honor his father, who was killed during World War II.
“I’m so glad we were able to play the piece last summer, so Emil could hear it at a concert.”
If you go
What: A concert honoring Emil Pacetti, featuring about 75 area musicians on stageWhen: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Indian Trail High School, 6800 60th St.
Admission: Free; donations will be collected for The Pacetti Project (P.O. Box 1856) to be used for local student music programs. Also, Kenosha Pops Concert Band CDs featuring Pacetti will be sold at the concert.
http://www.kenoshanews.com/entertainment/get_out_pacetti_concert_to_feature_mix_of_old_new_tunes_482544373.html
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