Call for Photos

Well, since this was supposed to be a series of posts DURING the trip to La Croix Valmer, it's probably not too much use adding posts or updating the existing posts. Watch the band's website, photo album pages, for additions from the trip to France in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, I'd like to ask band members to contribute photos from the trip for the website. Photos featuring band members (we really don't need everyone's favorite shot of the Eiffel Tower) are best. And I'd particularly appreciate photos of the band in performance. For some reason, I have a shortage of those :-)

Please send photos to webmaster@allentownband.com. Because photos likely are LARGE FILES, please send along only a few of your best shots, perhaps just one or two at a time so the band's inbox doesn't overflow.

Thanks!

Three Standing Ovations

Finally, a day Saturday with concerts. The band entertained at 11 am with an adrenalin-soaked performance in one of La Croix Valmer's picturesque squares. Many of the band's members took advantage of our host's hospitality during an afternoon "mini-cruise" from the town's beach to the St. Tropez waterfront and back.

The Allentown Band delivered a marvelous Gala Concert Saturday evening, receiving no fewer than three standing ovations. The program included iconic American music including Gershwin, Bernstein and Scott Joplin, and popular French music such as "Under Paris Skies" (guest conducted by Jean Luc Wastable--festival sponsor and director of the La Croix Valmer band), and a medley of music from "Doctor Zhivago" by French composer Maurice Jarre.

Soloists included Allentown audience favorites Frank Kaderabach (trumpet), Steve Reisteter (clarinet) and guest vocalists Chuck and Barbara Cohen. Xylophonist Jamie Moyer and percussionist Randy Edelman dazzled the audience with their displays of pyrotechnic percussion proficiency.

More later...

Start of the Festival

Well, our festival hosts have worked very hard to ensure a successful event and to provide a great experience for the guest bands.

For example, the Allentown Band split into two groups for tours of the area: The larger part of us went by bus to Aix en Provence, a beautiful old city. Another group stayed closer to our lodgings and visited St. Tropez.

Friday evening the festival's first evening gala performance was presented in the center of town by the band from Quebec. (I'll edit the full name of the group later.)

Today--quite busy for the Allentown Band with two performances. So very time-limited.

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea...

The posts may become a bit more frequent, as our lodgings here in La Croix Valmer provide Internet access.

Wednesday the band toured the Palace of Versailles. Mere words do not express...
Thursday was travel day. The TGV from Paris to Toulon was quiet, smooth and of course très vites, passing through the beautiful French countryside. Our festival hosts greeted us on arrival at the station, loaded us onto the bus. The ride to La Croix Valmer wound along the sea coast.

Thursday evening there was provided a reception with the Danish band, followed by dinner.

Parce que le acces de l'ordinateur est gratuit, I'm hoping to post some pictures later. A bientot.

Bonjour de Paris

Allo,

So the band had relatively smooth travel from Allentown to Paris. Slight delay from JFK but still arriving early in Paris CDG, causing a change of arrival hall. Our tour guide, Bernard, had a little trouble finding us. Morning at the Louvre, afternoon to the hotel, evening on our own. Some 5/9 of the clarinet section, joined by 1/2 of the bassons, wandered the area around Notre Dame to find a restaurant for supper, then walked over to the Tour Eiffel for the evening illumination.

(Left to right, at left) Michelle Veresink, Bob Stein, Scott Cragle, Meghan Wright and Valerie Pearson await the illumination of the Tour Eiffel.

Tuesday, the band had a bus tour of the city. Stops included the Arc du Triomphe, views of the Tour Eiffel, and Luxombourg Gardins.

The band and company on plaza overlooking le Tour Eiffel.

After that, I joined Scott Cragle, Val Peason, Lennie Steinmetz and Val and Norma Zanchuk to visit the Catacombs, Notre Dame, enjoy a Seine boat tour, and dine. More later. This is 1 Eu for 3 minutes! More posts and pictures when I find a reasonably priced Internet cafe.

Band Alumni Reunion

To fill a few spots in the roster left by band members who could not go on this trip, several band alumni were invited back. I was happy to have a little reunion with Val Zanchuk (trumpet). Val (on right with Frank Kaderabek) and clarinetist Scott Cragle were seniors in Lehigh University's class of '72 when I entered Lehigh as a freshman.

In those days, legendary Allentown Band conductor Dr. Albertus "Doc" Meyers was a frequent guest conductor of the Lehigh University Concert Band, and he often recruited college musicians. Val and Scott joined the Allentown Band soon after they graduated from Lehigh. At Lehigh reunions following my own graduation, they invited me to come to rehearsals. Having formed a none too favorable impression of community bands during high school (I played in the Pottsville Third Brigade Band), I resisted for nine years. But I finally started coming to Allentown Band rehearsals during the summer of 1984.

The first few minutes of rehearsal with Dr. Demkee changed my opinion of community bands. Actually, the Lehigh Valley is blessed with several very good bands, and Allentown is "Band City USA" with good reason. The Allentown Band, of course, stands out.

Soon to Be Underway

Welcome to my Allentown Band blog, created for the band's 2008 trip to the St. Tropez International Band Festival June 26-29 in La Croix Valmer, France. I'm hoping to make entries here during the trip, time permitting.

The band starts serious preparations for departure on Sunday June 22nd with rehearsal Saturday morning followed by a concert in West Park at Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. during this year's "Arts in the Park" festival hosted by the West Park Association. Much of Saturday's program will be played during our appearances in La Croix Valmer. So if you can't make it to the French Riviera next week, stop by West Park tomorrow!