Lenox — This month, a quintet of brass musicians from the Boston Pops Orchestra will perform a program of seasonal favorites on three consecutive days at Tanglewood’s Linde Center:
- Friday, December 19, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, December 20, 3 p.m.
- Sunday, December 21, 3 p.m.
Performing this program will be the same group of five Pops musicians who drew sell-out crowds at the Linde Center last December:
- Thomas Rolfs — principal trumpet, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra
- Michael Martin — fourth/utility trumpet, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra
- Mike Roylance — principal tuba, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra
- Toby Oft — principal trombone, Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra
- Michael Winter — associate principal horn, Boston Symphony Orchestra; principal horn, Boston Pops Orchestra
The Boston Pops Orchestra has played a prominent role in shaping what many Americans think of as the winter holiday musical canon—especially through the 20th century. “Sleigh Ride,” for example, became a national hit through a rare combination of timing, craft, radio culture, and the promotional power of the Boston Pops.
If you have ever experienced one of the Pops’ winter holiday shows, you have likely left the hall with the brass section ringing in your ears—a sign of just how much musical heavy lifting they do in the orchestra’s holiday performances.
To learn what makes the Pops’ brass section one of the best in the world, I spoke last month with tubist Mike Roylance and trumpeter Michael Martin. Our conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
THE BERKSHIRE EDGE
Mr. Roylance, you are a licensed pilot. How is playing tuba in an orchestra similar to piloting an airplane?
MIKE ROYLANCE
Well, playing the tuba is definitely safer than piloting an airplane. It does, however, require a lot of concentration. In the Christmas quintet you’ll hear us play, I’m performing in 98 to 100 percent of the music, so I’m constantly engaged.
In the Boston Symphony Orchestra it’s different—I’m often counting measures, waiting for the moment when I come in. Doing that math correctly is important, because if I miscount, I end up taking an unplanned solo… and those are not usually appreciated.
THE EDGE
Mr. Martin, how old were you when you first played in a concert that felt really big to you?
MICHAEL MARTIN
I was 11, and it was my first time playing in regional honor band. I was 14th chair, surrounded by kids who were not in my regular middle school band class. We got a medal back then, and I brought sunglasses to the concert because I was 11.
ROYLANCE
We should wear our medals for this holiday concert!
MARTIN
I actually love that idea. Red, white, and green Christmas medals! Yeah! That memory just sticks out in my mind.
Being one of six third-trumpet-part players is the first memory I have where I thought, ‘Wow, this is so cool!’ And all the players around me were really good.
It’s interesting, actually, that I’ve never thought about that question. When I was 11 years old in regional honor band playing 14th chair, the feeling was the same as it was in my first concert with the BSO after I got the job.
THE EDGE
The next question is for Mr. Roylance. What was the best thing about playing tuba at Disney World?
ROYLANCE
The best part of playing tuba at Disney World was the people I played with. Disney made us feel really appreciated, and that was special. But what I loved most was watching kids meet characters like Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy. Seeing their pure, genuine excitement reminded me how magical Disney can be.
THE EDGE
The BSO brass section is one of the finest in the world. What makes it so special?
MARTIN
Well, of course we’ve all spent years practicing, taking lessons, and doing the work. But the way I think about it is like Major League Baseball: We play about as many concerts as there are games in a season, and every team at that level is excellent. The same is true for us. The players at the very top are all incredibly good, so it’s not that any one of us is dramatically better than others or fundamentally different from players in other sections.
Honestly, I think part of what makes the BSO brass section special, what gives us our sound, is how close we all are. We’re colleagues, and we work together, and when it’s time to put pencil to paper, we’re honed in on our job. But we cut up in rehearsal sometimes, and we hang out together afterwards. We’re all really close, really good friends, and we’ve been there for each other through good times and bad.
This is my 16th season now, which I can’t really believe. I’m sure that blows your mind, Mike. And there are only two people now in the horn section who were not here when I joined the orchestra. And the back row—the trumpets, trombones, tubas—we’ve been together for 15 straight years, with no changes. The horn section has had a little bit of turnover, but the people who have come in are incredible.
This may sound lofty, but the trust we build outside rehearsals and concerts truly shapes the sound we create together.
THE EDGE
Mr. Roylance, do you have anything to add?
ROYLANCE
I think Mike’s reference to baseball is spot on because we all come to the BSO at a really high level, and it helps that we were taught to play brass in very similar ways. But the fact that we hang out together outside of work and have empathy and compassion and interest in all of our own lives outside of music—that is definitely part of what makes us one of the best brass sections on the planet.
***
Hear a quintet of brass musicians from the Boston Pops Orchestra perform a program of seasonal favorites at Tanglewood’s Linde Center Friday, December 19, through Sunday, December 21. Purchase tickets here.
