HO HO HO!!!!!!
Well it has been far to long since our last chat.
It's been a busy couple weeks for me. School has crunched for many of us college/university types and exams are already beginning. Hence the lack of blogging.
The bands have been incredibly busy the past couple weeks.
Grade 2 has been working very hard in the absence of Wes. Wesley has been recovering from various cold/flu/god only knows what, and it was up to Cam Ballantyne and the rest of the pipe corp leadership to fill his shoes for a few weeks. Job well done I say.
Practices rolled on despite some location issues and everyone came together to be in our best shape for the St. Andrew's Society Men's Dinner performance the last weekend of November.
Traditionally the drum corps have always neglected to learn any new music for this performance, opting rather to hold new scores until the concert in late January early February. I, on the other hand, felt it was time to use this performance to push the corp and challenge the new members.
We performed some traditional sets, 6/8's, 3/4's, that type of thing, and did a fabulous job of the Reel set wowing the crowd. We only brought 8 pipers out due to work, illness, etc. however it worked out well due to lack of stage space and the 7 sides in attendance.
The drum corp put a cap on the performance tearing through their first public performance of the Salute to Max Rayne.
It dawned on me in Montreal last year that there were only two grade 2 drum corps who can't play this salute, us... and another. I feel Max Rayne is a right of passage and the corp took up my challenge.
The rehearsal in the basement wasn't stellar... but not terrible. The performance on the other hand was second to none. One of those moments when, as a leader, you get to just look up and fight to keep your grin from showing.
The dinner was also the first roll out of our concert marketing. Tickets were available as of that friday for our winter concert: "The St. Andrew's Society Pipe Bands Live"... the concert is being held February 6th, 2010, at Jubilee Theatre. Tickets are $20, and available from myself or any band member.
We sold an all out record at the dinner this year.... 2...... but I have faith that we gained some fans that night and we shall see some new faces come February.
I have to thank Dan Sloan for helping us stay coordinated at the dinner, especially without Wes there. Cam and I were much more relaxed having Dan around to tell us where to be.
Also a huge thank you to Ed Bethune for picking up some concert tickets to take to the Society executive meeting this week, and for placing an ad in "the Saltire" (the society news letter) upcoming.
It's incredibly important to have friends like Dan and Ed involved and communicating with the band.
Next big event is the upcoming weekend rehearsal on the 19th, 20th, and of course the ensuing Christmas party.
Merry Christmas everybody, talk to you all soon!
Sean
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