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I feel proud and privledged that I and some of my students were able to meet Dr. Fennell only a year and a half ago in Indianapolis at the BOA National Concert Band Festival. He and his wife were utterly humble and polite as they shook hands with a twenty-four year old rookie band director. His combination of musicianship and character were and will continue to be an inspiration to me, my students, and surely to us all. My thoughts and prayers will be with his family tonight.

I have fond memories of his always smiling face and William Revelli when they guest conducted at KU when I was a student there. I still consider Fennell recordings to be the standard.

Had the privilege of playing under his direction many years ago on an all Alec Wilder concert. An absolute genius and a very kind individual who was quick to compliment. It was an experience that I'll never forget. May be the father of the Wind Ensemble.

More info on the Eastman web site:

http://www.rochester.edu/Eastman/news/?id=223

bloke wrote:

I have fond memories of his always smiling face and William Revelli when they guest conducted at KU when I was a student there. I still consider Fennell recordings to be the standard.

Sean,
Did you ever hear a KU Symphonic Band l.p. that we recorded with F.F. in 1979?...Holst, Byrd, Schuman, et al

I don't believe I ever heard them. Fennell has been an idol of mine from high school and always will be.

I'll never forget seeing him guest conduct the Tokyo Kosai Wind Ensemble after his retirement... a Grainger piece, was absolutely incredible. I remember looking at my friend right afterwards and neither of us could speak. It was truly, truly amazing.

In performance of my day job in Television, We taped The Allentown Band's 175th Anniversary Concert, Frederick Fennell was one of the guest conductors. It was a great honor to see him conducting in the person, after hearing the Eastman Wind Ensemble recordings, and playing his arraignments.

He will be missed.

I met Dr. Fennell at a conference in Atlanta in 1996. At the time, I had an idea for a conductor's conference in the DC area but had put little together. When I spoke to Fennell, he encouraged me to put the conference together and I promptly asked if he would be a guest artist. I will never forget him saying that he was "retiring" but would love to participate. Once he said he agreed to be a part of it, I knew I had a conference. I also found soon after that conversation that Dr. Fennell would never truly retire. His love for his art was as strong as ever.

When I met with him at Mid-West in 1997 to go over the conference schedule, I was careful to include certain breaks in the schedule for him and was prepared to alter the schedule in any way he saw fit. But he was insistent that he take part in most everything we were putting together. That would include conducting and rehearsing a community band, a professional group I formed from the DC area, a high school honors band, judging the conducting competition, taking part in a round-table discussion and conducting masterclasses, and giving a 2-hour session on band literature…all in three days and at the age of 84. Amazing!

The most memorable moment for me was the last rehearsal with the high school honors band. Fennell mentioned to me that he didn't get to conduct as many of these types of groups as he used to and missed doing so. At the end of the last rehearsal, it was obvious that the students knew they had just experienced an once-in-a-lifetime event. After Fennell went over the last particulars for the performance, many of the students went to the podium to talk to him and ask him to sign various things. Almost the entire band was surrounding him. They were asking him questions about his life and advice for their lives. The conversation went on for a 1/2 hour. It was the only time at the conference that I delayed the start of the next event because I knew how special it was for those kids to get to talk to him, and I knew how much he enjoyed being with them. There is no greater thrill for me to know that those students will always be able to say....even into their 80’s.... that they worked with Fred Fennell.

Dr. Fennell was an amazing man. A pioneer, a musician of the highest level, a champion for music, a giver. His legacy is a lasting one and will be felt directly for the rest of this century, and indirectly infinitely. I feel we are blessed by the fact that he was able to not truly retire, and be able to share his knowledge, experience, and stories with so many for so long.

A true virtuoso has died, but the teacher will live forever.

Mark Norman

I posted something about it at my column last week: http://www.artsjournal.com/adaptistrati ... html#92640

The world of music was better off for having Fred Fennell walk through it.

Drew

It was my good fortune to play under Dr. Fennell in wind ensemble and orchestra while at the University of Miami (mid to late 1970’s). He was one of the finest and most knowledgeable musicians and educators that I have had the pleasure to play under and know. He was also a true gentleman.

Peace be with you Dr. Fennell.
Mark