several band members enjoyed a midnight swim. Our long lost tuba player, Drew Miller, had at last arrived with his tuba, but no luggage.


The next morning, we drove to Rome to spend the next


two days. Before checking into our hotel, we took a bus tour through Rome, surveying spectacular Roman ruins, and stop- ping to explore and photograph the Coliseum. Traffic was just as congested and frightening as one might imagine. That night and the next day, we were free to roam (no pun intended) so many of us made our way by bus and subway to the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish steps, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel, and the Pantheon. Finding terrific restaurants in Rome was no problem. Also, our long lost sax player, Selwyn, missing since day one, finally caught up with the group. The moral of that story is "arrive at the airport in time." Our one negative experience in Rome was that one band member was pick-pocketed and lost all his cash and credit cards. Our new trip motto became "hold on to your stuff!" In the late afternoon, we made the short trip to Poggio Mirteto, a lovely hillside fortress town, where we actually spent the night in a Renaissance castle. Our second concert was there in the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.


This venue made our


already fine group sound great. All the band members got chills as we played Puccini's Nessun Dorma. After the con- cert the band visited the rehearsal hall of the local town band, Garibaldina via Cavallieri, founded in 1592!!! This band is the oldest in Italy, and one of the oldest in all of Europe.


Then the mayor of


Poggio Mirteto treated all of us to drinks at a local bar. I remind myself to mention this to the mayor of Huntsville after our next home concert. The night at the cas- tle was loads of fun with band members exploring hidden rooms and secret pas- sageways, a la Scooby-Doo. Thursday, June 29, we said arrivederci to central Italy, and made the long drive north to Verona and an amazing per- formance of Aida in a 2000 year old Roman arena. Captivated by sets designed by Federico Fellini, costumes by Armani, and an impeccably in-tune orchestra, those of us who attended were enthralled. One of my favorite memories of the trip was look- ing over at William T. Robinson during the performance, and seeing a smile on his face as if he had arrived at the pearly gates. I now know what a perfectly in-tune pianissimo sounds like. The next day, we toured Verona and even got to visit Juliet's famous balcony.


Our third concert was performed in picturesque Sirmione, a resort town on a peninsula jutting out into Lake Garda, only 40 km from Verona. Claudio, our guide, called this area southern Germany, because of the large number of German tourists. Our performance stage was similar to those we see at City Stages or Big Spring Jam, only there was a 13th century castle overlooking our venue in Sirmione. The concert started late, because once again, Italy was playing a World Cup match on television, and once again, the blasts on car horns indicated another Italian victory. Once we started playing, people seemed to come out of the woodwork to listen. Music just seemed to be


ala breve


better appreciated in Europe.


After the concert, everyone dis-


persed to the many restaurants, one of which featured a quite pro- ficient jazz group. Readers might quiz Theo Vernon about his adventures in the bushes after he was locked out of the hotel late that night.


The next day, the band drove east, past Venice, to Jesolo,


on the Adriatic Sea. Here we got a taste of salt water, topless beaches, and our first and only rain on the trip. Our fourth con- cert, on an outdoor stage just a block from the beach, was going well until we started Fillmore's Rolling Thunder. As if on cue, the clouds opened up with a deluge and the large, enthusiastic audi- ence rapidly dispersed with the band following right behind. On Sunday, July 2, we drove to Port Sabbioni to board a private charter boat for the short cruise into Venice. Our last con- cert was to be given in a piazza, and as I feared, proved to be a logistical nightmare. It was very difficult to get instruments and equipment into Venice by boat, and then by foot over the mostly cobblestone streets. But we did manage, and gave our only stand- ing concert to an enthusiastic audience that included many Americans. Theo even got to serenade his own Juliet on a bal- cony overlooking our performance.


The band members thor- ABA members Kim Bain, Theo


Vernon, and Sandra Hill in front of St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice


oughly enjoyed Venice, from the gondola rides, to the Murano crystal, to fettuccini Alfredo made table- side, to feeding pigeons in Piazza San Marco. I was truly amazed at the magnificence of the Cathedral San Marco, and could easily imagine the music of Gabrielli resounding from the balconies. After our fifth and final concert, we had to retrace our steps through Venice, meet our charter boat, and return to the bus for our ride to Milan and our flight the next morning. Our last night at the 5-star Crowne Plaza hotel was much too short, but we were glad to be home in time for our July 4th celebrations. Traveling with adult musicians definitely had its advantages and rewards as opposed to traveling with students. I never had to threaten anyone with a call home to mama. We all made new friends, reinforced old friendships, and shared a musical experience that non-musicians can never imagine. As for reper- toire, pop music went over very well, especially the Sinatra med- ley. Stars and Stripes ended every concert with audiences shout- ing and clapping along with us. The best received serious works were James Barnes' Valor and Puccini's Nessun Dorma. Claudio wrote me recently and in his own way explained what I mean. "… next time you meet the rest of the band please tell them (I know I'm not a music expert) that when you played in the Cathedral and in Venice I felt something in my stomach, no please.....I don't mean that you made me feel sick! I mean I was proud of you!" What I usually tell our Twickenham Wind audi- ences at home certainly rings true. There is musical life after high school and college. It is up to us as music educators to provide the opportunities and to nurture it.


David Spencer has been band director at Huntsville High School since 1980, and has served as chairman of District One three times. He received degrees from Auburn University, the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of North Texas.


65


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68