ClarinetFest® Day 3

Tod Kerstetter Tribute with Professor’s Clarinet Choir

by Sarah Triggs

The professors choir started with a bang when they performed an arrangement of Gustav Holst’s Jig from St. Paul Suite. It was a fun way to start off a beautiful program! The balance of the group was impeccable and the bass line was super powerful! This years Professors’ choir is under the direction of Jesse Krebs.

The world premiere of Compass by Theresa Martin was a treat! This piece was commissioned by the ICA and dedicated to the past president Mitchell Estrin. It was incredible to hear her speak about it. Martin described the piece as being in a storm, that our lives can be so busy. The adventure of the piece is finding your inner peace, and that your compass is peace. Compass starts off with a slow lullaby that you will hear throughout the piece. Throughout the performance you can hear Martin’s incredible work with balancing the ensemble through her writing and the gorgeous textures she gets with the different timbres of the clarinets.

A large portion of this concert is a dedication to Tod Kerstetter. This half of the concert started off with Kerstetter’s improvisation solo of Amazing Grace played above the Alyssa Morris’ arrangement of accompaniment. There were very few dry eyes in the house hearing Kerstetter’s beautiful clarinet performing once again. After the performance, Denise Gainey presented Tod’s family with a beautiful plaque to remember his service to the ICA.

The last two pieces on this concert were clarinet choir arrangements done by Tod Kerstetter, Bohemian Rhapsody and Raiders March. There were a lot of emotions in the air as the last few pieces were performed. Tod Kerstetter was an amazing person and a huge asset to the ICA. This memoriam concert was a beautiful and heartfelt way to remember him.