The story is that the person - who orchestrated this march for brass (last year) had played golf regularly with Mac Davis, and - decades ago, on the golf course, one day - bet Mac Davis (a nickel...?? a beer...?? a C-note...??) that Mac Davis could not compose a march.
According to the story (told us by the orchestrator) this march (melody and chord changes...perhaps a bit more...) came in the mail to him - from Mac Davis, a few weeks later.
Mac Davis passed away (just back in September) only a couple of weeks prior to this Jackson (TN) Symphony Brass Choir concert, somehow (??) the principal trombone player knew about the march - as well as it having been orchestrated in 2019, and was able to receive a score and parts in time for us to perform it...so our performance was probably (??) one of the first.
The performance is "good", but (to critical ears) not "polished".
As with the other subscription concerts - this fall, we have performed TWO concerts (to socially-distanced audiences) - both the same night, with only ONE rehearsal...so (just as with the Vaughan Williams Tuba Concerto "Romance" movement) this march received ONE run-though - and a couple of shoulder-shrugs - at the ONE rehearsal.
Notice how very "busy" the tuba part is.
There are enough notes - there - to raise a BASSOON player's eyebrows...
(I have NO idea whether Mac Davis wrote all that bass-line mess, or whether the orchestrator had drank some very strong coffee, that day...??)
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The bass trombone player owns a Jinbao euphonium, but decided to ask to borrow my Willson, as its low range is extraordinarily good.
The bell-front compensating E-flat tuba (seen on the floor) was used to play the unlisted encore, "Stars & Stripes Forever" - where the tuba was assigned the piccolo obbligato in the Trio. (With the E-flat tuba, the vast majority of the pitches - in that solo - only require one-or-the-other of the first two valves - or no-valves-at-all - being depressed..."best tool for the job"...etc.)
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Leipers Fork (misspelled on youtube) is a rural area southwest of Nashville, but still well inside Nashville's lower outer loop freeway. Mac Davis divided his time between his home - there - and another home - in California.
Mr. Davis composed several of Elvis' hits, including "Memories", "In the Ghetto", "Don't Cry Daddy", and "A Little Less Conversation".
He also composed his own hit song, "Baby, Don't Get Hooked on Me" (1972).
Davis also had a successful-run TV show, "The Mac Davis Show" (33 episodes - music/comedy skits/celebrity guests), which ran from 1974 - 1976.
die blechbläser und die blechbläserin
