I'm not given to tears. Not very often. But boy, they came this evening. There's nothing that says "Merry Christmas!!!" to me more than a Salvation Army brass band. Takes me back to my younger years in Chicago where the Sal played in the snow on street corners and more than one office party giver begged the horns to play for his crowd.
Reminds me, too, of the years I did highbrow-ish movies with different partners. In particular, the classic version of
Shaw's Major Barbara, with Wendy Hiller playing the title role. Such enthusiasm and joy! I really hadn't expected a Salvation Army brass band here in Prescott.
This was just a very small portion of the annual Acker Musical Showcase held tonight in Prescott, featuring all manner of performers playing in different downtown business locations. I've got a cameraload of pictures & will do my own showcasing of the amazingly varied performers tomorrow or the day after.
Tonight, I'm just letting the nostalgia wash over me!
Aided by folks walking the streets in costume...
Some streets were closed off for the crowds and for such characters as the well lit gent below...
There was yet one more brass group to finish the night with a flourish -- a quartet playing Christmas carols. Three tubas, yet. Sigh! How time passes.
I'm not given to tears. Not very often. But boy, they came this evening. There's nothing that says "Merry Christmas!!!" to me more than a Salvation Army brass band. Takes me back to my younger years in Chicago where the Sal played in the snow on street corners and more than one office party giver begged the horns to play for his crowd.
Reminds me, too, of the years I did highbrow-ish movies with different partners. In particular, the classic version of Shaw's Major Barbara, with Wendy Hiller playing the title role. Such enthusiasm and joy! I really hadn't expected a Salvation Army brass band here in Prescott.
This was just a very small portion of the annual Acker Musical Showcase held tonight in Prescott, featuring all manner of performers playing in different downtown business locations. I've got a cameraload of pictures & will do my own showcasing of the amazingly varied performers tomorrow or the day after.
Tonight, I'm just letting the nostalgia wash over me!
Aided by folks walking the streets in costume...
Some streets were closed off for the crowds and for such characters as the well lit gent below...
There was yet one more brass group to finish the night with a flourish -- a quartet playing Christmas carols. Three tubas, yet. Sigh! How time passes.
Ha! I knew you'd have awesome photos! My own were pretty crappy, so I added a link to your blog in my Acker post. Acker was just wonderful, and I'm glad you enjoyed it. I know I did!
ReplyDeleteAnd the Salvo band was truly happy-making for a lot of folks. I can't remember the last time I heard a brass band play and I just loved it.
We live around the corner from a former Salvos village and we occasionally could hear the band practicing. A few years back the band would travel around the neighbourhood on a truck and play carols. Not now tho
ReplyDeleteThere is a dandy british movie, "Brassed Off" which has heaps of eye puddling brass band music. Hermano
were you a movie star?
ReplyDeleteI've come visiting via angie's blog.
ReplyDeleteBetween your blog and hers I've gotten a bit of the feel of Aker. Lovely that Prescott is so pro-art/music.
I love the Salvation Army band too!
Angie -- I would hate to tell you how much time I spend with good old PhotoShop!
ReplyDeleteBro -- Obviously I should be watching more movies...
Karen -- no, but I lived in a university neighborhood with a great movie house that showed all the latest highbrow flicks. Loved it.
Dink & everybody -- the Sal has always topped my charity list. It's partly because of the brass -- and because friends who were in need in NYC one year were treated better by the Sal than any other agency or group.
Alas, if we have a SA band in this midsouth city, I don't know of it...not to mean that I don't spend inordinant amounts of time at their stores...I do! Just bought $500 worth of furniture at ours to redo the VERY stacked up office of hubby...you know the look. Anyway, that's a LOT of SA furniture...and our Christmas present to each other this year.
ReplyDelete