Seventy-six trombones …
“Seventy-six trombones led the big parade, with a hundred and ten cornets close at hand …”
Or not. Not, anyway, in the case of the Firemen’s Parade at the opening of the Chenango County Fair Tuesday night. More like four trombones. And if I knew how to precisely identify a cornet, I’d say three.
That’s because our “big parade,” while big and certainly parade-ish, had only one marching band. One. From Laurens. The Laurens that’s not in Chenango County.
Granted, I didn’t brave the torrential downpour just to hear high school bands trot out a little Sousa or massacre some movie theme, but I did expect that there’d be more than one marching band in the parade. Or at least one from Chenango County.
As a self-proclaimed band geek, I marched at many a county fair (this county and several surrounding) under the Blackhawk banner back in the day. Following the extracurricular with avid interest in my post-high school years, I’ve certainly witnessed the steady decline of the form. Apparently, we’ve reached a point where not a single school in the county has a summer marching band anymore, and that’s sad.
Sherburne’s Pageant of Bands used to be the start of the season, and these days it’s the end. For many schools, it’s the one and only, save for perhaps a tepid Memorial Day appearance. I know there’s lots of reasons for the decline - budget and time constraints, competition from other interests, yadda yadda yadda - but I still think it’s a cryin’ shame that not a single Chenango County school - Norwich chief among them - can’t field a band for a parade which is supposed to represent the entire region.
Bagpipers are nice, but that ain’t a parade, folks.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:51 am
I agree—played in many parades and band concerts during the summer years ago. Many things this year “aren’t” at the fair. No Jersey calf to raffle off, no pig roast, no hot meals at Chapman Hall.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:32 am
It would be like you to quote a song from the Music Man.
How’s that going anyway?
Are you seriously qualified to judge… you wouldn’t know a cornet if it blew you in the face.
Did you learn that at Newspaper school??
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:43 pm
No, we learned how to get drunk at weddings and make out with married bartenders. Oh, wait … that’s Television School!
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Maybe 29 years ago when you were in a 23 year old senior in high school…
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:57 pm
29 years ago, I was 10. You know, like your mental age now?
August 27th, 2007 at 12:17 am
Call it how you will, you are still WAY older than me.
You just might be prettier, but still much, much older.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:13 am
There are a number of issues to your argument, and as someone on the complete outside looking in I can see why you would be upset, but the summer fairs invite bands, don’t pay them enough to cover the bus transportation to the parade, the schools don’t pay the band directors a dime to work in the summer and would laugh or offer peanuts if you asked them, and the kids are working during the summer. Most band directors I know will not put a bad product in public just because it’s a summer parade and you’re expected to be there. Sorry to say, but the days of high school marching bands doing summer parades is long gone my friend.
September 6th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
Jeff , maybe you are on to something. Possibly not the high school band direction you were heading in, but maybe you just put a spark in someone’s mind to start a Chenango County band for parades and events.