Weekly Update - 3/26/06
Mar-26-2006 20:40 |
Weekly Update
Greetings
All,
What a wonderful and profitable evening we had last night thanks to PHIL NANNERY, KEVIN BYRNE, KEVIN DONNELLY, PETE O'BRIEN, STEVE COCHRAN, ROB AGNEW, JAY RUBIN AND ALEX KULDELL!
The Lockheed Martin event went off well, in spite of last minute changes in program. Everyone who attended followed the Band's unofficial gig motto of "Semper Gumby" and the folks loved us. The revised program, when we got there, was that we would come in as single pipers, one through one door, another piper through another door, and so on, playing something soft and quiet ... yeah right, soft and quiet on the pipes ... so we played Balmoral. As each piper entered they would join the ones already playing and thus the sound would gradually build. When all the pipers got in we would end the tune. Then, they would open two other doors and the drummers would strike in a roll off and we would all play a rousing chorus of Scotland the Brave. The the speech's would start, followed by each of the five pipers playing one of the five armed service tunes one at a time: The Caisson's Go Rolling Along, Anchors Away, The Marine Hymn, Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder and Semper Paratus. Sounds like a plan. We sort of did that. Steve came in from a door in the back (opposite the stage) playing Balmoral and worked his way through the tables, Phil started in through a different door in the back of the hall, and was to join in. Unfortunately he couldn't hear Steve until he got close to the stage. After those two were in place, Kevin, Kevin and Pete would come in through doors on either side of the stage and join in. That part worked pretty good. We finished the tune and cut. They then opened the doors for the drummers who started their roll off and the MC started his speech. The pipers held and didn't play as they would have drowned out the speaker. Scratch that part. We did play the five service tunes, and that went well. All agreed that this is a set we need to work on and have ready for Rolling Thunder as all the service connected people in the hall commented how wonderful that was.
After this opening ceremony the band was cut loose to a separate room where we were fed like kings. Excellent food!
The second part of the evening was that we were to come back into the hall after the dinner and awards were handed out and play one verse of God Bless America and then parade everyone out of the dinning hall into the dessert and dancing hall. This was done to the First Set (Let Erin Remember, Bonnie Charlie & Minstrel Boy). By now it was 10:30 p.m. and everyone headed for home.
I would like to give special Kudos to those who made this event possible, especially to Phil Nannery who was the initial contact and Jay Rubin who took the extra effort to get Alex Kuldell out to play the bass drum at the beginning of the evening and then to took over the bass for the last part (as Alex had to go home early). Also, to Pete O'Brien who came out and played, even with a bad back.
REMINDER: There WILL be practice tomorrow (Monday) night. Beginners at 6:30 and everyone else at 8:00 p.m.
Also, we have two up-coming events that we have to get ready for:
The SIKH PARADE, on April 15, 2006.
The ROLLING THUNDER PARADE, on May 28, 2006.
A special note to our colleagues in the Sheriff's Dept. Pipe Band; you are more than welcome to join us on either of these two events.
See you all tomorrow night.
Slān,
Steve
===============================================================================
What a wonderful and profitable evening we had last night thanks to PHIL NANNERY, KEVIN BYRNE, KEVIN DONNELLY, PETE O'BRIEN, STEVE COCHRAN, ROB AGNEW, JAY RUBIN AND ALEX KULDELL!
The Lockheed Martin event went off well, in spite of last minute changes in program. Everyone who attended followed the Band's unofficial gig motto of "Semper Gumby" and the folks loved us. The revised program, when we got there, was that we would come in as single pipers, one through one door, another piper through another door, and so on, playing something soft and quiet ... yeah right, soft and quiet on the pipes ... so we played Balmoral. As each piper entered they would join the ones already playing and thus the sound would gradually build. When all the pipers got in we would end the tune. Then, they would open two other doors and the drummers would strike in a roll off and we would all play a rousing chorus of Scotland the Brave. The the speech's would start, followed by each of the five pipers playing one of the five armed service tunes one at a time: The Caisson's Go Rolling Along, Anchors Away, The Marine Hymn, Off We Go Into the Wild Blue Yonder and Semper Paratus. Sounds like a plan. We sort of did that. Steve came in from a door in the back (opposite the stage) playing Balmoral and worked his way through the tables, Phil started in through a different door in the back of the hall, and was to join in. Unfortunately he couldn't hear Steve until he got close to the stage. After those two were in place, Kevin, Kevin and Pete would come in through doors on either side of the stage and join in. That part worked pretty good. We finished the tune and cut. They then opened the doors for the drummers who started their roll off and the MC started his speech. The pipers held and didn't play as they would have drowned out the speaker. Scratch that part. We did play the five service tunes, and that went well. All agreed that this is a set we need to work on and have ready for Rolling Thunder as all the service connected people in the hall commented how wonderful that was.
After this opening ceremony the band was cut loose to a separate room where we were fed like kings. Excellent food!
The second part of the evening was that we were to come back into the hall after the dinner and awards were handed out and play one verse of God Bless America and then parade everyone out of the dinning hall into the dessert and dancing hall. This was done to the First Set (Let Erin Remember, Bonnie Charlie & Minstrel Boy). By now it was 10:30 p.m. and everyone headed for home.
I would like to give special Kudos to those who made this event possible, especially to Phil Nannery who was the initial contact and Jay Rubin who took the extra effort to get Alex Kuldell out to play the bass drum at the beginning of the evening and then to took over the bass for the last part (as Alex had to go home early). Also, to Pete O'Brien who came out and played, even with a bad back.
REMINDER: There WILL be practice tomorrow (Monday) night. Beginners at 6:30 and everyone else at 8:00 p.m.
Also, we have two up-coming events that we have to get ready for:
The SIKH PARADE, on April 15, 2006.
The ROLLING THUNDER PARADE, on May 28, 2006.
A special note to our colleagues in the Sheriff's Dept. Pipe Band; you are more than welcome to join us on either of these two events.
See you all tomorrow night.
Slān,
Steve
===============================================================================
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