Remembering the Concert Band

If the second volume of the Mercury Living Presence: The Collector’s Edition reminded me of that MIT student who numbered Leroy Anderson among the great composers, I have to say that there is a generous share of Frederick Fennell conducting the Eastman Wind Ensemble. (Fennell was also the conductor on the Anderson CD.) Having played in my high school's concert band, I had a great interest in "serious" wind ensemble music. Fennell gave exposure to a broad repertoire that seemed to be ignored by just about every other label. The significance of the legacy restored by this collection reaches far back into my personal youth.