Klarinet Archive - Posting 000925.txt from 1997/11

From: Phyllis New <filbil@-----.net>
Subj: >Craig Countryman exists!
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 1997 11:40:16 -0500

I am writing this from sunny Punta Gorda, Florida. Those of you who
have paid close attention will remember that Punta Gorda is the home of
the legendary Craig Countryman. I realize that some of us may have come
to the understandable conclusion that Craig is not a real person, that
he is perhaps Dan Leeson's alter ego or Mark Charette's mid-winter
Michigan wish fulfillment fantasy (ah, to be young, have great clarinet
technique, and live in the sunny southland!), but I am here to tell you
that CRAIG COUNTRYMAN DOES EXIST! I had the pleasure of hearing him
perform Sunday with the Charlotte County Concert Band. He is tall,
dark, and handsome and plays a mean eefer, as evidenced by some lovely
solo passages in an arrangement of tunes from "Fiddler". It was nice
meeting you, Craig! Now I can someday say "I knew him when. . . "

I tried to post this message from my mother's computer, but didn't see
it show up on the list today, so I am reposting from the computer of a
friend and fellow clarinetist who has just joined the list. She is
Phyllis New, and principal clarinetist with the Charlotte County Band
and clarinetist with the Northport Orchestra. She was also the lucky
winner of a new LeBlanc Infiniti clarinet at the Clarinetfest in Lubbock
last summer--gee, maybe I should've gone! Please make Phyllis welcome
on the list.

Flames, questions, comments, etc. for me should still go to my home
email, kbryson@-----. I've been visiting
my father following his bypass surgery recently.

Nancy Sulfridge