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