Klarinet Archive - Posting 000060.txt from 2009/11

From: "Dan Leeson" <dnleeson@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] A film about the orchestral isntruments for schoolchildren
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:48:07 -0500

Jim Gholson of Memphis sent me this link. It is a film that discusses the
orchestral instruments and it was used (and is still being used) by the
Memphis school system and elsewhere. The speaker is the late Alan Balter,
with whom I had the pleasure of playing on many occasions. Alan, like me,
was a student of David Weber of New York. His career enabled him to hold the
first chair in Atlanta. But when he was discovered with cancer he left the
orchestra and came to California for treatment at the Stanford University
cancer center.

Following successful radiotherapy he was able to begin playing again and he
won the principal chair of the now defunct San Jose Symphony. That is where
I met him. It was a joy to have him playing first. He tied the section
together both with his attitude and his marvelous playing.

Alan then got bitten by the conductor bug and, following a period when he
conducted a great deal, eventually became the conductor of the Memphis
orchestra. My wife and I visited him and his wife Nikki in Memphis where
they were both very happy. Nikki was a fine French hornist.

The link below takes about 20 minutes with a fast line to download. Hope
you all enjoy it. And thanks again to Jim Gholson.

http://unitus.org/GALL/musical_families.flv

Dan Leeson

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