The Band Plays On

Jerry Nowak will conduct the new Delaware Valley Wind Symphony.

By: Jessica Loughery
   A year ago, the Bucks County Community College Band was contentedly performing semiannual shows under the direction of well-known conductor Jerry Nowak. Mr. Nowak had been a faculty member of the college’s arts department for 36 years and had been with the symphonic band since its inception as a student organization 30 years ago. Having retired from full-time professorship after the spring of 2005, Mr. Nowak was invited to stay on for the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006 as a part-time professor and conductor of the band.
   Mr. Nowak, who resides in Flemington, is known throughout the world for his vast collection of music arrangements and compositions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a master’s degree in music composition from Trenton State College (now The College of New Jersey), and has lectured and taught throughout the United States and Australia. With his brother, Henry Nowak, he has co-authored two textbooks, Conducting the Music, Not the Musicians and The Art of Expressive Playing. A founding member of both the Philadelphia Saxophone Quartet and the New Jersey Saxophone Quartet, Mr. Nowak is active in the local music scene.
   "Jerry Nowak is a national treasure," says Andrew Pac, a Langhorne, Pa., resident who played saxophone and clarinet with the band. "He teaches conducting and he’s written over 900 pieces and arrangements over the years."
   As it turned out, Mr. Pac isn’t the only person who feels this way. When Mr. Nowak’s association with the college ended last spring, Mr. Pac and the other band members were unable to envision continuing on without the conductor they had performed under and learned from for so many years.
   "We were facing the prospect of coming back without Jerry," says clarinet-player-by-night, lawyer-by-day Steven Lees of Southampton, Pa. "I feel confident I can speak for everyone in the band when I say that the caliber of Jerry Nowak was why we all were there. In less than 24 hours (after Jerry let us know he was leaving), there was heavy e-mail traffic by and between the band members. One of them, it might have been me, said something to the effect of, ‘There’s really no problem here, we’ll just start another band.’ "
   "We just couldn’t let this organization die," Mr. Pac says in agreement. "I’ve played with some very famous conductors and they don’t get much better than Jerry."
   So, they simply packed their bags — or instruments, as it were — and left their association with the college behind, along with the financial backing. "The band members all figured, he’s such a phenomenal musician, if he’s still conducting, we want to be with him," says Mr. Lees. "So we decided to stick with Jerry and continue to learn."
   Since the spring, a committee of band members has been working hard to form the new band. "Four of us got together and we started to incorporate as a nonprofit organization and came up with the Delaware Valley Wind Symphony," says Mr. Pac. "Apparently it’s not in vogue to call it a band anymore." The symphony will perform under its new name for the first time Nov. 19 at Pennsbury High School in Fairless Hills, Pa.
   The group consists of 60 professional and semi-professional musicians from around the Delaware Valley. Many are private and public school music teachers, and a few are talented high school music students. As they are just getting off the ground, each adult member contributes $25 a semester. Eventually, as they start to generate funds, they hope to remove the fee and develop a scholarship fund for local fine arts students.
   Mr. Pac has taken on the position of president. "It was a matter of five of us getting together at my house and just hashing things out," he says, "and then Jerry said, ‘You be president.’ So, we held an e-mail election for all the positions." Steven Lees serves as vice president, Ray Pasteris of Yardley, Pa., as treasurer and Andrea Maurer of New Hope, Pa., as secretary.
   "Organically, it’s the same creature," says Mr. Lees. "We don’t have the resources that we did, but oddly enough, because there’s a lot of professional musicians, we’ve got connections and contacts. I think it will continue as it was with the band. We’re just all very hopeful it goes smoothly without a lot of bumps along they way."
   Mr. Nowak has no doubt. "(The band) sounds great," he says. "We’re going to have a very good concert. It’s always been a wonderful band, and it’s basically the same with about 10 new people. They’re very positive about the new group and they’re doing marvelous things."
   At the concert, the symphony will perform "On the Trail" by Ferde Grofé, "Bugler’s Holiday" by Leroy Anderson, "Send in the Clowns" by Stephen Sondheim (arranged by Mr. Nowak) and "Polk and Fugue" by Jaromir Weinberger. Also of note on the program are original arrangements by band member Bill Holcombe and Mr. Nowak himself. The symphony will play Mr. Holcombe’s "Casey at the Bat," a combination narrator and band piece, and Mr. Nowak’s "Under the Southern Cross," as well as his medley arrangement of Jule Styne songs like "Just in Time" and "Don’t Rain on My Parade," titled "The Best of Jule Styne."
   Mr. Pac calls band member Mr. Holcombe of Lambertville, "another national treasure." Like Mr. Nowak, he is well known in the world of contemporary American music composition. "I’m 60 and I remember playing a piece by Bill in 1982," Mr. Pac says.
   Mr. Nowak will, of course, conduct with help from associate conductors Steven and Colleen Sweetsir of Levittown, Pa. Mr. Sweetsir, a graduate of New England Conservatory and an active horn player, will take on "Dedicatory Overture," while Mrs. Sweetsir, also an active horn player, will lead "Bugler’s Holiday."
   The Symphony hopes to continue its semiannual performance schedule, though Mr. Pac says he expects the group to expand over time. He says they’d like to perform at First Night in Newtown next summer or in the early fall, and also hope to play with guest soloists, as they have in the past.
   When all is said and done, the musicians are just thrilled to be able to continue making music together. "I didn’t want it to die," says Mr. Pac. "I didn’t want the sound to die. It’s a fun place to be. The vibes are very fun, and it’s a very great place for folks that work to unwind."
The Delaware Valley Wind Symphony will perform at Pennsbury High School Auditorium, 705 Hood Blvd., Fairless Hills, Pa., Nov. 19, 3 p.m. Tickets cost $10, $5 seniors/students, free under 12. For information, call (215) 968-4972.
The newly-formed Bucks County Community College Symphony Orchestra, the successor to the BCCC-Community Symphonic Band, featuring conductor Dr. Russell Hoffmann, will perform at the college’s Library Auditorium, 275 Swamp Road, Newtown, Pa., Nov. 19, 3 p.m. Free admission. For information, call (215) 968-8088.