Band Concert

It has taken me more than twenty years to find someone who loves to go to the band concerts in the park with me.

My almost twenty one year old granddaughter seems to love them as much as I do.

I pick her up early so we can park nearby, then we haul our chairs across the park and try to guess where they will play this time. It used to be they always played on a portable stage, but this year the city stopped putting it in the park. Now the members have to set their chairs up in the grass somewhere.

But, the music is better than ever! They have a piccolo player who is extraordinary. His fingers fly and he produces such a sweet silvery sound it breaks my heart. Other musicians are almost as good. Two of the trumpet players are like liquid gold and one of the percussionists plays kettle drums that stir the soul.

The conductor is a savvy man who picks arrangements distinctly suitable for this audience. The national anthem in all it's traditional glory begins every concert. Amazing Grace ends them. In between we had medleys from George M. Cohan, World War I and military themes tonight.

He asked veterans to stand when they heard the one from their branch and people applauded each one. It was touching to see the old WWII veterans standing at attention, including the ones in the band. It was also touching to watch the younger children bouncing in time to the music while babies laughed and clapped and older children hung on the playground toys still interested in what they heard.

Nights like this are a bit of Americana almost lost.