Rehearsal today, with Alastair Willlis, was intense - as it has been for the past few weeks that he has been with us. Playing Mahler’s 5th Symphony has been an immense stretch for the basses, as it is ten times as physically and intellectually demanding then any other piece we have played in the past. I know that the bass section, along with all of the others, have been practicing diligently so as to play the best we can for our concert on March 1st, which I know we are all eager to play.

Chris Granat, Bass, Principal

This morning a great deal of the musicians breathed a sigh of relief waking up to snow and ice which meant one more day of the weekend. As the west side of Portland Public Schools closed its doors for the day, musicians alike wondered whether we were going to have rehearsal still that night.

It turns out this rehearsal was one of our best. We accomplished so much and we were really sounding good by the end of the night as we finished the final movement of the Mahler. With parents gathering in the wings and a group of very tired young musicians the music was sounding more and more like that of recordings of the incredible work. Though individual parts still need attention to finally iron out all the details, Alastair seemed genuinely pleased with the work that had been accomplished this evening. Exasperated at one point he exclaimed that “We better not lose any of this progress made today, in the weeks to come”. His intensity never fading or even withdrawing he kept the orchestra focused up until the final chord and with a final stare almost dared the orchestra to come unprepared for next week.

We are making exceptional progress and this concert is going to turn out a fantastic recording that is bound to go down as one of PYP’s best.

Josh John, Bassoon, Co-Principal

With 30 minutes left until 8:30, we were nearing the end of the 5th movement and rehersal. The triumphant cries of the trumpets could be heard over the strings endless eight notes, and at the moment I was cast under the spell of Mahler. Many people have told us that Mahler has been so powerful to them that they will remember playing it for the rest of their lives, or they were inspired to make a career out of music because of the piece. I was so naive to the world of Mahler that I thought it was impossible to be moved so much by one piece of music- man was I wrong! If playing the 3rd and 5th movements today for the first time made that much of an impact on me, I can’t wait for what happens when we all know Mahler like the back of our hands!

Emma Davis, Flute, Co-Principal

Tonight we struggled with the challenging demands of Mahler’s 5th symphony. The third movement is full of tempo changes and stylistic traditions that we had a hard time getting a hold of. As the night went on, however, and Mr. Willis continued to demand a better sound, we started to get the hang of what Mahler really intended. Tonight’s rehearsal was a wake up call about how big of a challenge the preparation of this piece will be!

Max Blair, Oboe, Principal

Just this week we started working on Mahler 5. Alastair Willis, the conductor for the Winter Concert,i s very energetic and he knows a lot about the particular piece, and how he wants it to sound. Mr. Willis seemed to get full attention and focus from us during our first full rehearsal, which will be very important in conquering Mahler. I think already, we are off to a good start.

Brandon Garbot, Violin