Had a rehearsal last night with the New York Centre Symphony for a rather intimidating upcoming concert, which includes Bernstein’s Westside Story, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and the Milhaud Percussion Concerto – all rather trumpet-heavy pieces. The 1812, for example, is scored for four trumpets – two Eb trumpets and two cornets. Yesterday, however, due to schedule conflicts throughout the rest of the section, I was the only trumpet player to show up.

Playing principal in the group, I’d become used to being the most audible part in the section, though I wasn’t quite as prepared to play as the only part in the section. I hadn’t previously realized, for example, that in multiple places in the 1812, the entire orchestra stops playing, aside from the trumpets (or in this case, trumpet) who repeatedly play an extended, loud, high, and rather technically difficult fanfare.

I cannot possibly convey the initial feelings of terror upon my discovering this fact, which largely involved me playing at the top of my lungs over dead silence throughout the rest of the room. Still, despite the initial shock, it went much better than I would have expected, at least given the unintendedly soloistic nature of the playing. Following the piece, the conductor looked over to me, laughed, and said, “well, now at least I know you can play your part!”

[Note to self: next time, learn to play the viola or some other quiet instrument that hides well within a large, rather anonymous section.]