It is with great personal joy and deep humility that I assume the job of bassoon editor for the IDRS publications for the coming year beginning with this issue of the Double Reed. I hesitate to call myself Jerry Corey's replacement because, let's face it, the man is irreplaceable. Perhaps we should call him simply "Mr. Double Reed" because it was from his fertile mind and active pen that the entire concept of an International Double Reed Society first began to take shape. Jerry started the ball rolling when he first published his "To the World's Bassoonists - a Newsletter for Intercommunication of Ideas and Events About the Bassoon" in 1970.
It was in the summer, 1971, newsletter (Vol. II, No. 2) that he first announced an organizational meeting for an "international double reed club" at the Mid-West Bandmasters Convention in Chicago on December 16, 1971. Subsequently the first annual conference of the newly formed International Double Reed Society took place in Ann Arbor, Michigan on August 1-3, 1972. The following year, 1973, both the newsletter, "To the World's Oboists" and the first Journal of the IDRS began publication. And now it is over ten years (and ten annual conferences!) later, and we can look back at all that has been accomplished through the IDRS and say most assuredly, thank you, Jerry. Thank you for ten solid years of untiring devotion and undaunted enthusiasm. Thank you for ten years of careful, faithful, and highly scholarly editing, shaping and molding, of our "hen scratchings" into legible, intelligent, and perhaps at times even brilliant contributions to the research of this most improbable instrument, the bassoon. But most of all, thank you for being the very cornerstone from which our Society has been constructed. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to know Jerry personally it is impossible to think of him as our "father" because he is much too young both physically and spiritually to assume such an austere role. So perhaps the title of "Young Mister Double Reed" says it best. Thank you, "Young Mister Double Reed." We remain eternally indebted to you.
In temporarily substituting for Jerry I don't plan on any drastic changes to his fine work with the publication. I've got some ideas for new additions that you'll find in the following pages but for the most part it will be "business as usual". What I need most of all, however, is direct communication from you, the bassoon membership of the Society. Please send me your news, programs, ideas for inclusion in the publication, anything that you feel might be of interest to the general bassoon community. If you have an idea but you're too busy to write it out, send me a rough draft and I'll gladly help you edit it and prepare it for publication. I promise to "bust my tail" to help keep the publication on time in the future, even if we have to print blank pages! God willing you fellow bassoonists will prevent such a drastic measure by your assistance. Write me. I promise to answer all letters promptly.
Ronald Klimko