November 10, 2013 - Veterans Day Parade Whitesboro NY

Even though the actual Veteran’s Day, November 11, fell on the Monday holiday this year; Whitesboro held the parade on Sunday, November 10 at 1pm.

Weather-wise it was a dismal day with light rain and blustery winds.

The attendance was low – and that included spectators and parade participants as well.

The parade consisted of a color guard, the Sherriff’s Department, an American Legion, a small group of politicians, the Hibernians, the fire department, and the Red Band.

But “THEY” were there – some sitting in chairs at the curb – some sitting in their cars – the old soldiers and sailors proudly wearing their Veteran ball caps.

As we marched by playing the military service marches – they watched us with a quiet dignity that belongs to their generation.

This year marks the 95^th anniversary of Armistice Day – the end of WWI – and the reason for the Veteran’s Day holiday.

Maybe it was gloomy weather, but seeing those stoic soldiers standing like sentinels, here and there, one couldn’t help but recall Gen. MacArthur’s words:

“Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away”.

 

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Veteran's Day Parade

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

October 20, 2013 - Saint Marianne Canonization Anniversary

The first anniversary of the Canonization of Saint Marianne Cope was celebrated at the home parish oh her childhood, St. Joseph/St. Patrick’s Church, on October 20, 2013.

Because she was a Franciscan nun, the liturgy included aspects of her life such as songs and prayers of St. Francis of Assisi.

The Utica Maennerchor Chorus performed as a salute to her German Heritage, and her sainthood was acknowledged in the reciting of the final prayer on day 9 of her Novena.

Novenas are a Catholic tradition of reciting special prayers for consecutive days. These prayers are supplications to a patron Saint requesting intercession for requests made to God.

Upon completion of Mass, the congregation exited and lined up in front of the Church. The procession included the hand-carved statue of St. Marianne, the Knights of St. John, the St. Michael Lancers, representatives of other Catholic parishes of Utica, and La Banda Rossa.

The most popular song we played was “Blessed Mother Marianne”, the song dedicated to Saint Marianne herself.

The procession walked down to the location of St. Marianne’s former home; located not far from the church.

The house is gone but a well-manicured lawn and a plaque mark the spot.

A colorful autumnal wreath was placed next to the plaque, and after more prayers were recited; Father Dellos introduced the great-great-great niece of Saint Marianne.

The band then led the procession back to the church concluding the ceremony. 

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Saint Marianne

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

 

October 5, 2013 - Camden NY Homecoming Parade

For the first time ever, the Red Band was invited to march in the Camden NY annual Homecoming Parade.

The parade started from the parking lot of the Camden High School.

At precisely 1pm the parade was signaled to begin by musket fire and the thundering drumming from the Continentals Fife and Drum Corps of Camden NY.

We proceeded down Main Street and right through the center of town.

It seemed that everyone in Camden participated. If they weren’t in the parade they were lining the sidewalks all along the route – most wearing the royal blue and white colors of the Camden Blue Devils.

The football team itself filled the backs of trucks followed by cheerleaders and pep rally clubs – for this was the Homecoming Parade.

Some of the children on the sidewalk were waving blue and white pom-poms but almost all of them were blowing on small blue cylinder shaped noisemakers.

We could hear hundreds of them “accompanying” our music as we marched by them.

We may have brought the team luck – The Camden Blue Devils trounced South Jefferson by a score of 41-27 later in the day.

The Red Band has a personal connection to Camden. We have a new member in our clarinet section this year. Her name is Karen Castine from Camden.

She was extra-excited about performing this year. It had been 19 years since she played in the same parade as a member of Camden’s school band and returned this year with our band.

A devoted musician – Karen also plays the violin and cello.
Welcome to La Banda Rossa!

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Camden Homecoming Parade

September 28-29, 2013 - Sts. Cosmas-Damian Feast St. Anthony's Church Utica, NY

The Sts. Cosmas and Damian Feast was celebrated at St. Anthony’s Church in Utica, NY on a glorious autumnal weekend.

On Saturday evening the Statues emerged from the Church and the Red Band was waiting on the sidewalk to greet them by playing “Marcia Reale”.

The band continued to play Italian Marches as the buses from Canada pulled up at the curb. By the time we finished - the Statues were surrounded by hundreds of pilgrims pinning Canadian dollars on the Saints and then receiving a Holy Card for each donation.

Because we had to wait for the candlelight procession and the final Benediction to finish – we could not start our concert until 8:45pm even though we had a large audience patiently waiting for well over an hour to hear us.

We played until 10:30 taking only a very short break as the buses began picking up the passengers to return to their hotels for the night.


 

The crowd seemed larger than ever and the lines for food and pizza fritte were exceptionally long.

On Sunday the Red Band was there for two processions – the first is a small procession to escort two young boys dressed as the Saints from a nearby house back to the Church for Mass.

For the Grand Procession after Mass we split into two bands –one leading the way and escorting the Statue of St. Cosmas and one at the end following the Statue of St. Damian with hundreds of Pilgrims in-between chanting and praying in Italian.

Also present was a Statue of St. Padre Pio and his fairly large group of followers.

Every year along the route we are greeted by the Tocco and Aiello families who had husbands and fathers that once played in the band. In their memory each family has a “Marcia Reale” played for them.

We also stop and play “Marcia Reale” to honor all the homes displaying large posters of the Saints. Many of these homes were also decorated with pretty fall flowers and looked very nice on a beautiful, sunny, autumn afternoon.

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St. Cosmas - St.Damian

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

August 23, 2013 - Our Lady of Lourdes Church Festival Utica NY

 This was our third time we’ve played a concert at Our Lady of Lourdes for their annual Church Bazaar. We played a two-hour concert during their famous Friday night fish fry.

We had a large band – 38 musicians including 17 reeds, 17 brass, and 4 percussionists, which supplied a full, rich sound.

The weather could not have been finer – cool and clear as the sun went down.

The audience was packed – sitting at picnic tables and on lawn chairs – some just milling around the grounds.

Although the Church has many Italian Parishioners – it is not considered an Italian Parish. Our director, Arlene, plans the concert program to include popular Italian songs such as themes from “Summertime in Venice”, “La Strada” and “Anema e Core” along with old time American favorites such as “East Side/West Side”, “Bicycle Built for Two”, and “The Band Played On”. All are perfect selections for a summer’s eve concert.

We ended the evening with patriotic selections including “The Stars and Stripes Forever” with an excellent piccolo duet by Barb Seaton and Varnum Harris.

There is something for everyone at Our Lady of Lourdes Festival – numerous food tents, a rummage sale, rides, games and lots of “LIVE” music.

Thank you Lourdes, for having us once again.

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Our Lady of Lourdes

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

August 16, 2013 - Feast of the Assumption Mechanicville, NY

La Banda Rossa took to the road to play an evening concert in Mechanicville, NY on Friday, August 16. After our 2 hour ride the bus dropped us off right at the door to the Parish Center.

In past years we have played in afternoon processions followed by an evening concert for the Assunta Society for the Feast of the Assumption. However this year the Parish decided not to have a Grand Procession but instead held a festival in the parking lot of the Parish Center.

Because there was a DJ playing amplified music outside we were invited to perform inside.

At one time the Parish Center was a school and anyone who ever went to a Parochial school would have felt like they took a step back in time. We entered the gym – the basketball nets lifted up, markings on the hardwood floor, folding chairs setup in neat rows facing the stage.

In Catholic schools the gyms and auditoriums shared the same space.

The Red Band set up on stage and started the concert with the playing of both the American and Italian National Anthems.

The audience grew quite rapidly as they entered the room from the outdoor festival area.

Our interlocutor, Pat Santacroce, positioned himself on the floor right in front of the 1st row of seats - putting his charm as close to the audience as possible. He delighted and enchanted them with his stories.

Usually when we give a concert the audience is enjoying themselves – sitting outside, eating the food offered at the venue, talking with friends, singing along with the band. But this time they came to hear the band. With no distractions from the outside noise (usually food vendors, games, and rides) they focused on the music and had a great time.

The room filled up and they sang, tapped their toes, and danced. The crowd exploded when we played the Beer Barrel Polka – they danced and jumped – clapping and cheering!

It was a memorable night in Mechanicville.

After the concert and we boarded the bus for home – just as we started to drive away – a volley of fireworks exploded in the sky

VIVA TO OUR FRIENDS IN MECHANICVILLE!!

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Feast of the Assumption

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

August 10, 2013 - Saint Marianne Street Dedication Utica, NY

Saint Marianne Cope is the home Saint of St. Joseph & St. Patrick Church in Utica, NY.

La Banda Rossa was lined up on the sidewalk and ready to perform as the 4:00pm Mass ended and the parishioners exited the Church.

We started with Marcia Reale followed by a stirring march as we played in one of our shortest processions ever.

We followed Father Dellos and his congregation from the Church steps to the corner of Columbia Street and Varick Street (the last few moments this portion of the street would have this name).
 

The street sign was draped with a royal blue cloth and there was a spray of flowers tied to the pole.

A podium was setup at the curb along with television cameras as everyone gathered around to watch Utica’s Mayor Palmieri officially proclaim a name change of one block of Varick Street to Saint Marianne Way.

He then pulled the ribbon and the cloth fell away revealing the new sign as cheers went up from the crowd.

Father Dellos then blessed the new sign with Holy Water as he prayed that anyone who walked or drove down the new way would be blessed by Saint Marianne.

He then instructed everyone to follow La Banda Rossa to the Church parking lot for an evening of food, music, and fun.

Playing the Mother Marianne Hymn as we processed down the street – La Banda Rossa became the very first to officially walk down Saint Marianne Way.

We marched to the front of the bandstand and Arlene conducted our Italian band for a few more songs before turning the festivities over to Irish dancers, German Edelweiss dancers, and the Blues Brothers – making for a very ethnic evening.

August 9 marked the 95^th anniversary of Saint Marianne Cope’s death in 1918 in Hawaii.

 VIVA SAINT MARIANNE!!

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Saint Marianne

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

July 27, 2013 -- Honor America Days Parade Rome, NY

Bravo!! To the city of Rome for consistently hosting one of the area’s largest and grandest parades. This was the 30th year that Rome has hosted its annual Honor America Days and the parade is a red, white, and blue display of patriotic enthusiasm.

There were 14 divisions in this 3 hour parade and the Red Band was placed at the end of division 10. Another band, The Excelsior Cornet Band, was at the beginning of our division. They are a Civil War band and use authentic antique brass instruments and percussion and are based in Syracuse, NY.

History is such a big part of Rome and its parade. Going back to August 26, 1758, Fort Stanwix was constructed to protect the area during the French and Indian War as well as playing a vital role during the Revolution.

On July 4, 1817 – the 1st shovelful of dirt was dug in Rome to start construction of the Erie Canal.

It was also home to Griffiss Air Force Base from 1942-1995.

Rome’s claim to fame doesn’t stop there – Francis Bellamy, the author of the Pledge of Allegiance lived here and is buried in Rome.

La Banda Rossa is honored to be part of Rome’s parade – after all this is our 108th year so we have quite a lot of history of our own.

It wasn’t hard to spot us – we were directly behind a very tall Uncle Sam on stilts and his ultra-agile unicycle companion.

The weather was perfect – the crowd was huge – lots of bands, balloon, and floats. Can’t rave enough about this one.

VIVA ROME!

VIVA AMERICA!!

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Rome Honor America Parade

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

July 21, 2013 - Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Church Festival Utica, NY

The week-long 90°+ heat wave broke in time for the Mount Carmel Church Festival and it seems everyone turned out to enjoy a sunny yet comfortable afternoon.

The Red Band was poised in front of the Church at the conclusion of the 10:30am Mass as the Statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel emerged followed by a large group of Parishioners.

Very few of them dispersed – instead they followed the Saint and the Blessed Sacrament in Procession. It was the longest Procession in many a year – perhaps because of a change made this year.

Instead of going through the streets of East Utica and making 5 stops to recite the Rosary – this procession just went around the block to the outdoor Shrine for Benediction.

It has been noted that these shorter Processions allow more of the older Parishioners to participate and be part of the celebration.

After Benediction it seemed that everyone stayed around the Church grounds longer to enjoy food and music.

We played a 2 hour concert on an elevated, tented stage (our 38 musicians just fit on the platform) before a very large audience sitting under a tent of their own.

It was a lovely way to spend an old-fashioned Sunday afternoon in East Utica.

VIVA Mt. Carmel/Blessed Sacrament Parish

 

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Mt. Carmel Festival

VIVA LA BANDA   ROSSA!!!

July 14, 2013 - Boliermaker Road Race Utica NY

Under hot, humid, sunny skies, the Boilermaker Road Race started at 7:15am with a 5k race, a 15k wheelchair race at 7:45am, and the main event – the 15k race at 8:00am.

The Red Band was setup just before the 2 miler marker and we were ready to play for the 1st wheelchair racers to come by.

Because they speed by so fast and by 2 miles they are already spread out from each other - we play our shortest number as they race by. We play an Italian fanfare type march – “The Marcia Reale” for each one of them.

By 8:07am the first elite runners reached us and at 8:09am the first elite women passed by (this gap between the men and women has gotten smaller over the years – you go girls!)

The Band quickly started our concert – Arlene selects quick-step numbers such as marches, polkas, and Italian favorites such as Funiculi-Funicula, the Tarentella, and the Beer Barrel Polka (perhaps to inspire them to the finish line at the Matt’s Brewery.

It seemed at times like we were also racing – we played 17 songs by 8:46am when the last runner went by.

The efficiency of this event is remarkable – by 9am the streets were being swept and the runners, the chairs, the water station, and the Red Band were gone!

 

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Boiler Maker Road Race

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

July 13, 2013 - New York Mills Bell Parade

According to a recent article in the Utica OD – the story of the Bell Parade reveals the history of the actual bell which is now displayed in Pulaski Park on Main St. in New York Mills.

The bell originally belonged to the AD Julliard & Co. this mill produced corduroy and velveteen textiles. The bell was used much like a school bell – to call its employees to work. The mill closed in 1951.

It pealed for fires and later rang curfew for kids at 9:00pm.

After the mill the bell was used by Sacred Heart Church until 1993 and then was gifted to NY Mills to be used in a village monument.

The Bell Festival began in 2000 and every July it kicks off with a parade.

The Red Band led the parade at 5pm on Saturday, July 13 – a very sunny, warm, and humid summer day. We marched down Main St. followed by the New York Mills Fire Dept.

We ended at the Park where entertainment continued through the night ending with a display of fireworks.

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New York Mills Bell Parade

 VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

July 7, 2013 - Sacred Heart-St. Mary's New York Mills

The Red Band was asked to play in a short procession following the 11:00am Mass at Sacred Heart/St. Mary Our Lady of Czestochowa Parish in New York Mills.

The Mass was a special “Celebration of the Priesthood” and honored Msgr. Adolph Kantor’s 70th anniversary and Fr. Arthur Krawczenko’s 10th anniversary of their Ordinations.

The procession included the Knights of Columbus, members of the Clergy, and Parishioners – some in colorful Polish outfits carrying banners and flags.

An honored guest was also in attendance – the Most Rev. Edward Ozorowski, Archbishop of Bialystok. Poland.

The procession ended at the Grotto where everyone gathered around the Statue of the Blessed Mother for a final prayer and two musical selections by the band.

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Sacred Heart-St. Mary

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!

June 14, 2013 - Deerfield Field Days Parade

Last year I commented on the dwindling number of people who used to sit in front of their homes along the steep hill of Trenton Rd to watch the annual Deerfield Firemen’s Field Day Parade – and that trend continues.

I discovered that the crowd has simply moved to the food and beer pavilions and the young people are congregated along the amusement and rides area.

The best place to listen to the Red Band and watch the Firemen is to queue up in the food ticket line, order your food, get a frosty beverage, and take a seat at a picnic table.

We start at the top of the road, lead the parade down the short, downhill route. Then because there aren’t many bands in the parade we stand on the sideline facing the crowded tables and play a mini concert of marches. We continue playing as the fire departments minus the trucks enter the field and pass in front of us.
 
It was a great night for field days – sunny and pleasantly warm – the dog days of summer are still in the future.

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Deerfield Field Days

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!!