It was a long trek to the concert in Englewood, and when the buses pulled up on a busy city street along side brightly lit store fronts, we were a little perplexed as we unloaded the buses. 
The entrance to the alley turned out to be the secret passageway to the stage door of the Bergen Performing Arts Center.
One of the more ornate halls, it was also one of the tightest stages we’ve had the entire tour; tighter, even, because it was a Percussion Concerto night. The repertoire for this tour requires
the percussion section to travel with an enormous amount of equipment. Some judicious maneuvering took place to fit all the mallet instruments on the stage.
The audience streamed into the hall, anxious for the concert to begin. The enthusiasm of the audience was overwhelming, with standing ovations just for taking the stage and for Chris’ performance of the concerto.
But they brought tears to the eyes of some Band Members when the front section of the audience joined hands as if in a prayer circle and swayed to the music of God Bless America.
Marine Corps Birthday began as a chilly, drizzly day, forcing Karen and I into the mall for a shortened walk. Not much else to do around the hotel, I found myself back at the mall with Leslye and Chris, hunting for Tour Gifts. Load in for the ride to Easton was well under way when I took my suitcases out; people seem to be loading earlier as we wind our way closer to home.
The sun was trying to take back the skies when we pulled in to the hotel parking lot in Easton. A welcome banner mounted over the entry to the breakfast area drew our attention to the red, white, and blue goodie bags waiting for us from the Mergens, holding fresh fruit, trail mix, chips and water for our drive to Annandale. 
In our rooms, further surprises awaited us; goodie bags adorned with patriotic ribbons sat at the foot of each bed, a welcome gift from the hotel.
Arriving in Annadale, the crowd waiting for entry to the gymnasium was so large the buses had to wait for the crew to clear a lane to get through to the parking area. We were welcomed by the Band parents, anxious to bring us water, food, and anything else we might need.
When the crowd was let in to the gym, they filled all the chairs and seats in the bleachers; standing room only.
Sara introduced the Hometown Boys, the Brothers Mergen, who received a standing ovation from the audience proud to have members of the Band they could call their own. Once again, the crowd was so enthusiastic, I was wondering if we’d have to pull out Powhatten’s Daughter if they didn’t stop the cheers and the applause. After the concert, the crew had to keep the audience from swelling into the set-up. The Band Parents insisted on loading the leftover bottles of water and cans of soda on the buses before we returned to Easton. The enthusiasm, warmth, and generosity of our audiences and sponsors mean a lot at the stage of Tour; the end is in sight, but it without the energy of the audiences, it would be harder to dig that little bit deeper beyond the fatigue.
The entrance to the alley turned out to be the secret passageway to the stage door of the Bergen Performing Arts Center.One of the more ornate halls, it was also one of the tightest stages we’ve had the entire tour; tighter, even, because it was a Percussion Concerto night. The repertoire for this tour requires
the percussion section to travel with an enormous amount of equipment. Some judicious maneuvering took place to fit all the mallet instruments on the stage.The audience streamed into the hall, anxious for the concert to begin. The enthusiasm of the audience was overwhelming, with standing ovations just for taking the stage and for Chris’ performance of the concerto.
But they brought tears to the eyes of some Band Members when the front section of the audience joined hands as if in a prayer circle and swayed to the music of God Bless America.Marine Corps Birthday began as a chilly, drizzly day, forcing Karen and I into the mall for a shortened walk. Not much else to do around the hotel, I found myself back at the mall with Leslye and Chris, hunting for Tour Gifts. Load in for the ride to Easton was well under way when I took my suitcases out; people seem to be loading earlier as we wind our way closer to home.
The sun was trying to take back the skies when we pulled in to the hotel parking lot in Easton. A welcome banner mounted over the entry to the breakfast area drew our attention to the red, white, and blue goodie bags waiting for us from the Mergens, holding fresh fruit, trail mix, chips and water for our drive to Annandale. 
In our rooms, further surprises awaited us; goodie bags adorned with patriotic ribbons sat at the foot of each bed, a welcome gift from the hotel.Arriving in Annadale, the crowd waiting for entry to the gymnasium was so large the buses had to wait for the crew to clear a lane to get through to the parking area. We were welcomed by the Band parents, anxious to bring us water, food, and anything else we might need.
When the crowd was let in to the gym, they filled all the chairs and seats in the bleachers; standing room only.Sara introduced the Hometown Boys, the Brothers Mergen, who received a standing ovation from the audience proud to have members of the Band they could call their own. Once again, the crowd was so enthusiastic, I was wondering if we’d have to pull out Powhatten’s Daughter if they didn’t stop the cheers and the applause. After the concert, the crew had to keep the audience from swelling into the set-up. The Band Parents insisted on loading the leftover bottles of water and cans of soda on the buses before we returned to Easton. The enthusiasm, warmth, and generosity of our audiences and sponsors mean a lot at the stage of Tour; the end is in sight, but it without the energy of the audiences, it would be harder to dig that little bit deeper beyond the fatigue.
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