Monday, June 16, 2008

Stripper in the Forbury Gardens ...

It’s “Good Afternoon!” from the Forbury Gardens bandstand in Reading.

The large crowd’s loving it: early ripples of appreciation turning into great waves of applause as we romp through the second half of our performance.

Pirates of the Caribbean, The Stripper, Hootenanny, Pink Panther, the Stars and Stripes - it’s all there!

The sun is out and playing warmly on the backs of the lower brass and percussion. A gentle breeze chills some of the clarinet section who reach for extra layers. But a bright and cheerful day.

And our guest conductor, David Wirdnam, is in good form, patient and cheerful, as he guides us along with a little wry humour, getting back into the saddle with his old band. Nice to see you again, David!

Not too many beers in the interval, but quite a few ice creams. Some of the audience come over to say hello, and Tony sells one enthusiast the idea of joining the Brock Barracks cadet band when she is 12.

A very fine man even tells us how good it is to hear trombones who are not afraid to play out!

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