November 8, 2009 - Whitesboro Veteran's Day Parade

Whitesboro celebrated Veteran's Day with a parade held on Sunday, November 8th.

They could not have picked a nicer day - it was sunny, clear and so warm that we performed our last parade in short sleeves - no jackets necessary on this beautiful November afternoon.

We followed the Oneida County Voutures 92 Truck with it's cannon booming down Main Street as we played all the Military Marches for the Patriotic Flag waving crowd.



We marched onto the Village Green staying in formation as we lined up by the Gazebo.
We all joined in as a young Cub Scout stood on a chair to lead everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance -then Professeressa Arlene Iagnocco conducted La Banda Rossa playing the Star-Spangled Banner - a fitting song for our final number of the 2009 Red Band Season

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!
Please click on the link below for photos
Veteran's Day Parade

September 26-27, 2009 - St. Cosma-St. Damian Feast - Utica, NY

Every year the St. Cosma-St. Damian Feast seems to get bigger. The number of buses arriving from Canada has grown from over 80 in past years to well over 100 this year.

On Saturday evening, the grounds around St. Anthony’s Church were packed with people. Our Concert started late (not until close to 9:00pm) because of the size of the Candlelight Procession and the length of time it took to complete.

As always we began our Concert with the three National Anthems to honor the Pilgrims from the United States, Canada, and Italy. Usually the crowd explodes with cheers at the first strains of “O Canada” – but this year the applause after “Inno Di Mameli” was overwhelming.

The dance floor stayed crowded all through the second half of our Concert. They danced to everything from Polkas, Tangos, Marches, and Italian Movie Themes. They even did a kick-dance on top of the tables during “New York New York”.

The rain held off until the last few songs of the night and it rained steady as everyone left and we packed up our instruments.

Sunday morning the rain continued on and off all morning and afternoon–yet this was one of the largest processions ever. It extended for almost 4-5 city blocks. The distance was shorter this year and more people seemed to walk it.

The rain didn’t matter – up went the umbrellas and the two Bands played on.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos.

St. Cosma-St. Damian Feast Saturday Night Concert
St. Cosma-St. Damian Feast Sunday Morning Procession

September 20, 2009 - San Gennero Feast at Turning Stone Casino - Verona, NY

The Red Band returned to the Turning Stone Casino as the closing act for their San Gennaro Festival.

This year they moved us from the stage at the back of the Event Center to the Main Stage.

We started a little late as we had to wait for the cooking demonstration to finish before setting up for our concert - but Hey! - That's Italian! Good Food and Music!

The audience stayed to listen to our two hour concert. We had to omit a few selections because of the late start - but we did play all the Italian favorites and received a good round of applause for each one.

This is the one gig that's so different from the rest- the Big Stage - Music Stands with Lights (setup by stage hands!) - Microphones - Spotlights - Sound System - and we get to watch ourselves perform on the Big Screen at the opposite end of the room.

It's the Big Time and fun to play.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!

Please click on link below for photos

Turning Stone

September 5, 2009 - Richard Galime Wedding

This one was for "Family"!

The Red Band gathered on the steps of St. Anthony's Church to salute newlyweds, Richard and Mary Galime.

Richard grew up with the Band, playing 3rd trumpet at the age of twelve - then rapidly improving his trumpet skills he joined his father, Al, at 1st trumpet where he continued to play through his high school and college years, and beyond.

As family and friends exited the Wedding Mass, they were delighted to have the Band entertain them with marches and Italian music as they waited for the Bride and Groom to descend the Church stairs.

When Richard and Mary exited the Church we honored them with the Royal Italian March.

Then the Bridal Party and guests began to dance outside as we played "Funiculi Funicula" and the "Tarentella".

The Galimes' are such a musical family - Al, Richard, Michael, and Julia all play in La Banda Rossa in addition to having their own rock bands that play at area clubs and weddings - and last year at the Sts. Cosma and Damiano Feast, the Bride, Mary, joined us on trumpet.

Best wishes to both of you!

VIVA MR. & MRS. GALIME

Please click on link below for photos
Wedding

August 30, 2009 - St. Rosalia Feast - Utica, NY

Sadly the St. Rosalia Feast is down to the bare bones. Instead of a 3-day weekend, it was celebrated on Sunday morning and afternoon.

One block was still closed off - but there were no little vendor booths, no bandstand, no strings of green, white, and red lights hanging over the street.

Instead of a Grand Procession through the streets of East Utica, where we would stop to say the Prayer and scatter Rose petals at the many homes that were decorated with St. Rosalia posters and Rosaries on Blankets - we escorted the St. Rosalia Statue from the Chapel to the Church. After Mass we followed St. Rosalia around the block back to the Chapel. We had time to play only three songs and say two Prayers.

For the Concert we setup our chairs on the sidewalk under a tree. We had a good-sized audience. They enjoyed the music and the Pizza Frite was sold out during our second set.
It started to sprinkle just after our break and there were thunder-head clouds all around us - but St. Rosalia seemed to Bless us. The clouds blew over and the sun was back out before the concert was over!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!
Please click on the link below for more photos
St. Rosalia Feast

August 15, 2009 - Feast of the Assumption Mechanicville, NY

Our trip to Mechanicville began at 7am as the Birnie Bus left our rehearsal clubhouse to our destination - The Church of the Assumption.

Although it was the Feast of the Assumption it was a very sad day for the parishioners - they were having the last mass in this small church established in 1919.

We watched as the Blessed Sacrament was carried down the street to St. Paul's Church. Then we followed the procession along the route we have taken in previous years.

The weather was sunny and clear - it was also 91 degrees. Fortunately we had many stops along the way to replenish ourselves with food and cold drinks, including the food stops at Costanza's Restaurant and at the Clement's house on Round Lake Ave. which included a complete Italian meal and many home-made pies and desserts.

The procession was also accompanied by a barrage of fireworks everytime we stopped for a donation for the Saint. After the procession we escaped from the heat by sitting (and in some cases - napping) in the air-conditioned splendor of our bus.

The bus then returned us to Costanza's Restaurant where we enjoyed an Italian dinner courtesy of the restaurant before having to play a two hour concert at 6pm at the Festival Grounds.
We had a very large audience that was so appreciative when we played "Ave Maria" in honor of the Feast Day as well as singing along with our classic Italian songs. Since the grounds are by the Railroad yard - this year we were ready for the train. We played "Where do you work a-John"(the Delaware-Lackawana song) when the freight train passed through. Instead of the train drowning out our music - we provided a sound "track" for the train! Brilliant!

After the concert - so many people came up to thank us and say how much they enjoyed our music. A few expressed their fears of the future of the Feast because of the closing of their Church.

It really "strikes a chord" of how important the traditions are still being carried on by the Red Band - it is a fragile and significant role we play in our cultural society which we are so proud to be a part of.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!
Please click on link below for more photos of the days events.

Feast of the Assumption.

August 9, 2009 - Italian Festival Herkimer County Fairgrounds

A new event in the area was started this year to celebrate cultural diversity - The Italian Festival, a 2 day event held at the Herkimer County Fairground in Frankfort, NY.

The Red Band was selected to close the festivities on Sunday night with a 2 hour concert.

Although a big rainstorm had passed over just hours before - it stayed humid but dry for the Concert.

We had a great turn-out of band members for this event - 37 musicians plus our conductor Arlene Iagnocco, and our announcer Pat Santacroce.

This was one of those concerts where everything just clicked - the sound was "FANTASTICO"!

Highlights of the evening included a Jerome Kearns song "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" featuring an outstanding Trumpet Solo by Al Galime - and new this year a Marche Sinfonica "I Diavoli Rossi"

Of course our wonderful, receptive audience stayed with us right through to the closing "Marcie Royale" at 10:00pm. Viva Italian Festival!

VIVA LA BAND ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for more photos

Italian Festival

August 8, 2009 - Oneida County Firemen's Convention Parade

We were asked to march with the Floyd Volunteer Fire Department in the Oneida County Volunteer Firemen's Convention which was being held in Whitesboro, NY. It was a three day event with a parade on Saturday evening.

We stepped off along the parade route down Main St. sandwiched between a multitude of Fire apparatus.

The crowds were out in force to salute the fine work of the local Volunteer Fire Companies.

We marched past the Village Gazebo where the Whitesboro parades usually end and continued over the Sauquoit Creek Bridge and marched right out of town into Yorkville ending at the Whitestown Vets Club.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please follow link below for photos
Whitesboro Convention Parade

July 25, 2009 - Rome Honor America Parade

La Banda Rossa waited at W. Pine St. for our turn to enter the Honor America Parade. This location gave us a few less blocks to march. However Rome's Parade is still a very long route with many participants. It really is one of the better parades in the area.

The weather was sunny and warm and the crowds were out in full force to enjoy our first real summer day - a perfect day for a parade. The crowds were at least two deep practically the whole parade route and near the reviewing stand up to four or five deep.

Shortly after the reviewing stand we got a brief reprieve from the heat when a man with a garden hose arched a spray of water to mist us.

Because it's such a long parade - our Capo, Richard Pashley, went over our march list before we started. We first played all the Military Marches, then our Italian Feast Marches, and last our traditional parade marches.

We all enjoyed playing such a variety of music and it gave the feeling that the parade was shorter than it was because we didn't need to repeat any marches. The crowd also seemed to enjoy hearing our selection as they cheered and applauded along the whole route.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please follow link below for photos of the parade
Rome Honor America Parade

July 19, 2009 - Mt. Carmel Church Festival - Utica, NY

The Sunday activities for the Mt. Camel Feast began after Mass with a Procession of Parishioners making 5 different stops. Each stop had a small table in front usually covered with a cloth, candles, flowers, and a statue of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on it.




At each stop the procession would recite a Decade of the Rosary in a different language - first in Italian, then Spanish, followed by French, English, and the 5th in Vietnamese. This was to acknowledge the diverse membership of the Parish.

The Procession concluded with a Benediction at the Shrine in the church parking lot where "Tantum Ergo" was sung in Latin. Throughout the entire Procession the Red Band supplied the most international of all languages - Music! At 2:00pm we gathered in the school lot under a big green and yellow tent to play our concert.

Pat Santacroce was our MC and our program included Italian favorites, polkas, marches, and one solemn and serious selection to honor the Feast - the "Ave Maria" - which was followed by a noticeable silence from the crowd before their huge applause.

What a big turn-out this year! Our large audience spilled out of the tent and the grounds were full of people forming long lines at the food tents. The food was outstanding as usual and included the usual favorites - pizza frite, the Cafe, and new this year - Sicilian Rice Balls and Eggplant Sandwiches.

A "Feast" indeed!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos
Photos of Procession and Concert

July 17, 2009 - Ilion Doo Dah Parade

It's confirmed...rain does not stop nor hamper Ilion's "Doo-Dah Parade".

After lining up by Remington Arms, the marchers all waited for the parade to begin while the weather would change from a drizzle to a light rain.

The Red Band marched in a drizzly shower dodging the deep puddles while the crowds of spectators, many under umbrellas, cheered and applauded the marchers.

Most of the band kept their jackets on to keep dry but the humidity made it too uncomfortable for some of the members.

Fortunately, as if on cue, the rain let up by the end of the parade and Ilion continued celebrating its' zany, crazy, Doo-Dah Day Festivities.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos.
Ilion Doo Dah Parade

July 12, 2009 - Boilermaker Road Race Utica, NY

The grassy divider on the Parkway at Tilden Ave. was all ready for us at 6:30am on Boilermaker Sunday. The chairs and a case of water were there along with two volunteers to assist us. They helped us setup and arrange the chairs and music stands

Our location was at the end of the "International Mile" just before the end of Race Mile 2.

It was perfect weather for the race - cool and sunny with a slight breeze.

Once the wheelchair racers sped by, we played continuously because at that point in the race the runners are pretty much still packed together.

All our selections were lively - but we seemed to get the biggest response from the runners when we played "Funiculi Funicula" - with some of them even dancing in front of the Band. Because it seemed to be a crowd favorite we repeated it a few times.

In just about an hour the race had passed us and it was only 9:00am!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos.
Boilermaker Road Race

July 11, 2009 - New York Mills Bell Parade

The weather was a major "guest player" in the New York Mills Bell Parade this year. The parade was preceded by a thunderstorm and the rain was quite heavy as we gathered on Elm St. with everyone staying in their cars!

Just moments before the start - it was decided that the Band members should drive down to the park and play under the pavilion for the duration of a "car parade"

As soon as we reached the pavilion the rain stopped and the rest of the Parade started.

We lined up chairs in our marching formation and played as Police Cars, Fire Trucks, and Cars with dignitaries in them passed by. Because the rain had stopped there were a few walkers in the parade but not too many people were lined up at curbside to watch.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos from the parade.
New York Mills Bell Parade

July 4th, 2009 - Parades and Concert

The Red Band's 4th of July activities start in Whitesboro. The Parade stepped off at 1pm with La Banda Rossa leading the line of march. By the time we played our first 5 marches - we were parading past the American Legion Honor Guard and onto the Village Green to prepare for a 2 hour concert.


Because of the threat of rain - we squeezed everyone into the Bandstand Gazebo. It stayed dry but the wind was strong (25mph) and the temperature never got above 67. Our audience made themselves comfortable in lawn chairs, jackets, sweaters, and even blankets. We played several patriotic songs and a medley of Gay 90's favorites entitled "Belle of the Ball". Whitesboro puts on a real old-fashioned 4th with bandstand, flags waving, great American music - they even serve popcorn, hot dogs, and apple pie.

We also gave a special salute to a couple that had been married on July 4th celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary - Mr. and Mrs. Cammarere, the parents of our Trombone player Mark, and grandparents of our percussionist, Rocco!
(The Red Band is all about family)

The Utica parade started at 6pm with BIG changes this year.The parade lined in the MVCC parking lot and took a long march down Sherman Drive and Culver Ave before finally reaching a small group of spectators which grew slightly larger at the Armory. The crowd gradually increased at the reviewing stand where the parade briefly stopped while we played the National Anthem. The greatest number of people was at the entrance to Proctor Park where Utica was having the Fireworks come nightfall. The city wanted to honor the 100th Anniversary of the Park by moving the celebration there this year.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on the links below for photos.
July 4th Parades and Concert

Photos of Whitesboro Concert taken by others

June 27, 2009 - St. John's Day

We played a concert for the Annual St. John's Day event held at the Masonic Care Community Campus in Utica.

There seemed to be fewer events than in other years and our Concert was only one hour long. However the audience under the tent was well-sized and we were warmly received as we noticed familiar faces from previous years.

At 3pm we lined up to escort the Masons from the Front Gate to the Chapel. Just as we stepped off a rain shower started but that didn't stop the Band or the Masons from their parade. As soon as we reached the Chapel we found shelter under two trees to continue playing marches as the Mason's entered the building. As we continued playing the rain stopped completely as if on cue.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on the link below for photos of St. John's Day at the Masonic Care Community
St. John's Day

June 14, 2009 - St. Anthony Church Festival

Another sunny and warm morning greeted us as we lined up in front of the Statue of St. Anthony to play the classic Italian marches.

We set off on the streets of East Utica following the ladies with a basket of St. Anthony's bread, parishoners, and a group of pilgrams that were pushing the Statue of St. Anthony through the streets.

We stopped at the street corner of St. Anthony and Mary streets to play the "Marcia Royale"in memory of former band member Frank Tocco. His family waits for us every year beside an empty chair at this location where he and his wife used to wait for us to pass by - a quiet moment to remember the musicians who have gone before us as we enter out 104th year.

Although the Feast seems to grow smaller through the years - the tradition continues.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on the link below for more photos

St. Anthony Concert and Procession

June 13, 2009 - St. Anthony Church Festival

After a beautiful morning for the parade in Dolgeville by the time came for our evening concert, the clouds had rolled in and we had a fairly heavy rainfall, but a golden sunset started peeking out as we began our St. Anthony Concert with the Star-Spangled Banner followed by the Italian National Anthem.

Professoresa Arlene Iagnocco dedicated this concert to a former clarinet player who passed away on May 15th. In special memory we played a classical Italian Funeral piece called Una Lagrima Ed Un Fiore (A Tear and A Flower) for Jerry Barresi.

The magic from the morning was still with us - this was a fantastic concert. Our French Horn player, Carm Graziano, is back from Florida; our drummer, Dan Williams, brought a Glockenspiel to play a part in Echoes of the Opera; and Linda DeAmici debuted on her Alto Clarinet.

We played a new number given to us by our trombonist Frank Rossi called I Diavoli Rossi (The Devil Rossi)

The rain seemed to have made a difference in the sound quality - the humidity and barometric pressure were ideal to produce a rich, full, "fat", loud sound.

We played all the Italian favorites and a special treat - 2 back to back Glenn Miller hits - St. Louis Blues and Moonlight Serenade.

Even the audience was caught in the moment - they listened intently and burst into applause after each number.

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on link below for photos
St. Anthony Concert and Procession

June 13, 2009 - Dolgeville Violet Festival

Bright and early Saturday morning found us in Dolgeville to lead off the Third Division in the annual "Violet Festival Parade". The weather was warm and the crowd was in the thousands.


Once again as we marched past the reviewing stand playing
"Old Comrades" we were announced as
"The Red Band of Utica featuring
Dolgeville's own Lenore Gabriel!"
(our local star is taking her fame much more in stride this year!)



Actually we all swung in stride extemely well in this parade - we won a 2nd Place Trophy for "Non-School Musical Group"

Capo Richard Pashley accepting trophy from parade organizers John Rachon and Jackie Rachon

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!

Please click on the link below for photos of the Violet Festival Parade
Violet Festival Parade