WOODSTOCK - The Woodstock Chamber Orchestra will be paying homage to one of their fallen members, Ellenville-resident and music teacher Dr. Ambrose Jackson, who died at the age of 69 on November 14, 2009, after a battle with cancer. On the weekend of March 19, the orchestra will be dedicating three performances to Dr. Jackson, as well as playing the last piece he composed before the end of his life, “The Woodstock Variations.”

“Ambrose was in and out of the hospitals and his 'Woodstock Variations' had not been completed,” wrote Alfred Sweet, former longtime executive director of the orchestra, in an e-mail. Jackson joined the orchestra as a trumpet player in 1999, and also served as a member of the board of directors until his passing late last year. Jackson also taught music at the Ellenville Central School District for ten years. These two aspects of his life were the capstones on an already long and impressive career in music, which included being the first African-American member of The United States Army Band and Herald Trumpets, which played at the White House for President John F. Kennedy. Jackson also toured here in the United States and abroad in a variety of styles, including ancient music, chamber music, jazz, and blues.

Determined to finish his work despite his illness, Dr. Jackson set about completing the “Woodstock Variations” from the hospital.

“He arranged to have his lap-top computer delivered to his hospital room where, for several weeks, he completed the score and all of the individual instruments' parts. Then, from his hospital bed, he printed out all of the parts for delivery to the orchestra,” wrote Sweet. Once completed, the piece finally premiered in a performance by the Woodstock Chamber Orchestra in December 2008.

According to Sweet, Jackson's “Woodstock Variations” is based on his experiences in Cameroon, in West Africa, where he spent six months studying traditional music and dance styles after receiving a doctorate in Ethnomusicology from Ecole des Hautes Etudes at Sciences Scoiales, Paris, France. The piece is described as “a highly appealing evocation of an African village at sunrise.”

The orchestra has scheduled three performances, all of which are dedicated to Jackson. On Friday, March 19, at 8 p.m., they're going to play at Bard College's Olin Hall; on Saturday, March 20, at 8 p.m., the orchestra will appear at the Pointe of Praise Family Life Center in Kingston; and on Sunday, March 21, at 3 p.m., their final performance of the weekend will be at the Bearsville Theater. Admission is $20, with $5 tickets available for students. For more information, head to www.wco-online.com .