The Moravian Band

To: All band members of the Salem Congregation’s Easter Band
From: Your Directors, Contacts and Leaders.

We greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and we wish for you a blessed Lenten season.

We wish to invite your participation in all the preparations for this year’s celebration of our Lord’s resurrection.

When we play on Easter Sunday morning, each of us should;

1. Play the chorales as if you were singing them. Play them at the tempo at which you could enunciate the words and get through an entire phrase in one breath. Try to breathe only at the phrase endings.
2. Help any new players with their tone, fingerings, and phrasing.
3. Play with passion.
4. Play our very best for the glory of God and our risen Lord.

As you may be aware from past years, our attendance at the 3 massed band rehearsals has not been very high – averaging between 40% and 60% of our membership. We would like to have you at all 3 rehearsals but if that’s not possible then we respectively ask that you make every effort to attend at least 2 of the 3 rehearsals. Of course there will be exceptions – such as these:

1. You live more than 1 hour from Salem
2. You have health concerns or serious family matters to attend to
3. You have other extenuating circumstances (sports on TV does not qualify)

In any of these cases or others, please call or e-mail your director to let them know of your situation and they will certainly excuse you while still knowing of your plans to take part.

For our many experienced players, we realize that the chorales are not technically difficult, but for the sake of the whole group, we all need to be present for rehearsals. Even if you have been playing these same tunes for many, many years, the whole band needs to rehearse together for balance, intonation, and phrasing. With your presence you bring not only your knowledge of your instrument and the music, but you also bring the encouragement that will help the newer players grow to your level of experience. The band as a whole needs your support. Remember, rehearsal is for the whole group, practice is for the individual. We’re there to rehearse. You can practice on your own.

As Christians united in a common purpose to proclaim the news of our risen Lord, we join with others who will hear us in person, and in broadcasts locally and around the world.

In Christ’s love,

Directors, Contacts and Leaders of the Salem Easter Band