La Banda Rossa: June 9, 2012 - St. Anthony Festival Concert

The director of our band, Arlene and her husband Pierre were celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary today.

Saturday night at St. Anthony’s Church when the 4:00pm Mass was over and the Church had emptied out, Arlene and Pierre and their families approached the very same Altar where they renewed the vows that were said 50 years ago.

Presiding today was Father LaFache and Deacon Bill Dischiavo.

Along with the Feast of St. Anthony, the church was celebrating 100 years.

At 8:00pm, the Red Band held its’ first concert of the season under a big tent by the food pavilion. We had a large band – 41 musicians including 7 trumpets, 6 trombones, 16 reeds and new this year a bassoon played by Tyler Colvin.

Just before our break our interlocutor, Pasquale Santacroce, announced that it was Arlene and Pierre’s anniversary and the band surprised them with a spirited “Marcia Reale”. That was followed by Al Galime leading the band in the Anniversary Waltz while Arlene and Pierre twirled around the dance floor as per the lyrics: “Oh how we danced on the night we were wed….”

The injured Richard Pashley showed up to be concert master. He had one crutch and a small stool to prop his bum leg on. More Tradition: The show must go on!

And more Tradition: our senior member, trombonist Frank Rossi, brought his great-grandson Nolan to sit with him on trombone. It carries on another Red Band tradition of family members playing along side each other.

Listen close to the music – we’re playing “The Barber of Seville” as well as a new arrangement of “O Solo Mio”. These along with an old time song called “The Woodpecker Song” were all well received by the large St. Anthony crowd.