There’s No Accounting For Taste
This piece, for bagpipes, 21 piece chamber orchestra, and jazz quartet, was performed for the 1986 Hampshire College Commencement. Bagpipes are traditionally included at Hampshire College commencement ceremonies.
Structurally, it is based on an elaborate polytonal structure completely built upon the golden mean. The mean was used to determine the number or sharps and flats on two key strata; one began at the end of the piece and worked forward, the other at the beginning of the piece, towards the end. The mean also determined the placement of all musical themes.
Though it sounds like it owes more to Carl Stallings than Stravinsky, I was particularly influenced by Symphony of Psalms while working on it. Persichetti and Bartok were other influences.
If anyone ever reads this and knows how to contact Kirsten Cook, please put us in touch with each other. I owe her a recording of this piece. She was exceedingly generous with her time, as was another piper who performed with the Boston Pops but threw her back out, rendering her unable to perform the piece.
This is a single mike recording, unfortunately. Following credits are spotty for the strings and brass players, some of whom were members of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra or UMASS. Reeds, pipes, and jazz ensemble are correct. Many were reading parts with wet ink. Troopers every one.
Brian Yankee – Conductor (UMASS)
Kirsten Cook – Highland Bagpipes (Hampshire College Alumn)
Flute & Piccolo – Kirsten Jacobson (Smith College)
Flute – Rebecca Black (Hampshire College Alumn)
Clarinet – Ilene Stahl (Hampshire College)
Bassoon – Ann Horwitz (Hampshire College Alumn)
Trumpet – Don Soutar (UMASS)
Trombone –
Tuba – Thom Untersee (UMASS)
Violin I – Ian Gallihue, Zoran Jakovcic, Anita Fabos, Ron Zissel
Violin II – Ginny Baron, Ma Ning?, Tamara Wallace-Senft
Viola – Elizabeth Rose, Don White?
Cello – Vittoria Esile (UMASS), Natasha Vaubel (Hampshire College)
Bass – Arthur Kegerreis (Hampshire College)
Percussion & Drums – Judy Bruneau (UMASS)
Alto Sax – Mike Fry (Hampshire College)
Guitar – Mike Ferretti (Hampshire College)
Joy Krinsky and John Brinton are kind enough to help with score assembly 
Vittoria Esile, Arthur Kegerreis, Mike Ferretti 
David Weiss helps with score assembly 
Joy and John assembling parts
Among those pictured are: Mike Fry (sax), Mike Ferretti (guitar), Rebecca Black (flute), Kirsten Jacobson (flute), Ma Ning (violin), Thom Untersee, Brian Yankee (conductor), Vittoria Esile-Issen (Cello), Natasha Vaubel (Cello) and Judy Bruneau (percussion).
Finale hadn’t been invented yet, so all the parts had to be copied, cut and pasted, by hand.
Free / Experimental Music:
Luke Kaven – Tenor Sax
Chris Wythe – Guitar
Andy Luthringer – Guitar
Arthur Kegerreis – Acoustic Bass
Conceived and performed by Arthur Kegerreis
ARP 2500, Micromoog, Acoustic and Electric Bass.
Larry Blume and Mark Tuchman made an animated film entitled, “The Dull And Dreary Life of Frank J. Postwell.” This was the soundtrack we created for it. Miles Davis had just performed at UMASS, so there may be some Jean Pierre quotes amidst the improvisations.
Mike Ferretti – Guitar
Mike Adachi – Rhodes
Larry Blume – Drums
Arthur Kegerreis – Electric Bass
Engineered by Scott Gerber
An arrangement for saxes for Jeff Holmes’ UMASS Jazz Arranging Class
Performers are students from 1985 UMASS Jazz Program under direction of Jeff Holmes, on piano.
“Periods of Adjustment” 1986
Incidental and underscore music for a series of plays (Div III/Senior Thesis) featuring Thom Garvey, directed by Chris Lee
Conductor – Lew Spratlan
Flute – Kristen Jacobson
Clarinet – Ilene Stahl
Violin -Tamara Wallace-Senft
Cello – Natasha Vaubel
Bass – Arthur Kegerreis
Marimba (Yamaha DX7) – Joy Krinsky
Arthur Kegerreis, Acoustic Bass
By Duke Ellington, Arrangement by Arthur Kegerreis
(Chamber Funk)
Richard II Underscore
Music do I hear?
Ha, ha! keep time. How sour sweet music is
When time is broke and no proportion kept!
So is it in the music of men’s lives.
And here have I the daintiness of ear
To check time broke in a disorder’d string;
But, for the concord of my state and time,
Had not an ear to hear my true time broke.
I wasted time, and now doth time waste me;
For now hath time made me his numbering clock:
My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar
Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch,
Whereto my finger, like a dial’s point,
Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears.
Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is
Are clamorous groans, which strike upon my heart,
Which is the bell: so sighs and tears and groans
Show minutes, times, and hours; but my time
Runs posting on in Bolingbroke’s proud joy,
While I stand fooling here, his Jack o’ the clock.
This music mads me; let it sound no more;
For though it have holp madmen to their wits,
In me it seems it will make wise men mad.
Yet blessing on his heart that gives it me!
For ’tis a sign of love; and love to Richard
Is a strange brooch in this all-hating world.