Spectacular Soloists

The lights were hot and bright, the auditorium cloaked in velvet darkness, the stage was tight with no room for risers, but the audience was enthusiastic and appreciative. It’s only the second night of Tour and already we pulled out God Bless America for an encore. The intro was barely over before the audience was on their feet, singing along with Sara. It was a good ending to the first full day of Tour.

Morning found me walking, my traditional form of tour exercise. The walking buddies change somewhat from tour to tour, usually either Lisa or Deb, with others joining us as we explore each tour stop, walking about four miles in an hour. Lisa, Karen, Ruth and I braved the shoulder of the highway to reach a neighborhood we found on Google Maps. We saw our first touches of Autumn color and the occasional pumpkin patch in a side yard here and there; a pleasant start to the day.

Following breakfast (yes, my Hot Pot Oatmeal), shower, and packing, I found Jenna on line so we spent some time catching up on Yahoo Instant Messenger. A little bit of warm-up, a load-in, and we were on our way to Hummelstown.

There were more sprinkles of color among the trees, but it was almost hot in the sun and doesn’t really feel like Fall. I love driving through Pennsylvania at any time of year; the farmland is always beautiful and lush, the landscape dotted with red barns and tall silos. Field after field of feed corn sped by as we drove down the highway.

After checking in and making some phone calls, Leslye and I decided we’d follow the directions on the itinerary and cross Hershey Drive to find the grocery store. Unfortunately, signs prohibiting pedestrians were at every corner of the intersection, so we headed back to the hotel.

The ride to the concert was fraught with traffic and construction, but the Tour Coordinators had planned ahead and allowed plenty of time for the drive to Lebanon. A familiar concert sight; I know we’ve played there on previous tours. It was a night for former band members – we saw Drum Major Wolfe back stage. He hasn’t aged since I saw him last, not really having changed much since he retired, except maybe for a little more hair. Retirement seems to suit him well.

It was a spectacular night for our soloists. Chris Rose put on a tremendous performance, made more impressive by the tight quarters he had to negotiate as he made his way around the stage. I would love to be able to turn and watch him play the drum set; he sounds like he is having the time of his life. At the end of his cadenza, during the brief silence before the band entrance, we heard “Wow!” come out of the darkness enveloping the audience.

Not only did Sara sing beautifully, her narrations were fantastic. Her introduction to The Devil and Daniel Webster gave a brief synopsis of the movie, reciting Daniel Webster’s closing arguments to the Judge. I finally found my alternate fingerings without making a deal with the devil, so I was able to have fun with the piece.