The United States Navy Band Sea Chanters were in town!
Yes, indeed! Armstrong's Fine Arts Auditorium was playing host for this free event, so I was able to bop across campus to join the show.
That was good. That saved me some travel time.
Even so, I missed the first seven songs, arriving just as the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was beginning.
Very nice! I even closed my eyes to listen to the harmonies with my entire being. You know what I mean? It's about closing off other sensory input to better concentrate on one.
In other words, much the same as the much-anticipated movie on Friday did.
This time, the sense to be emphasized was that of hearing.
(smile!)
The house was packed! I ended up standing the entire time, but that was fine with me. Any time I wanted to break into dance, I did. And I did that a lot as the night went on!
The Sea Chanters took a break after that, but the Band played on! The tune was even one I knew, Bela Fleck's "Big Country" - what a nice surprise by the trio! Especially as the pianist, MU1(SW) Justin J. Cody, was responsible for this particular arrangement. He quite obviously enjoyed performing it for us, too!
Honestly, I had arrived exactly when I should have, I do believe. The rest of the program featured various ensembles within the Sea Chanters, including a theatrical contingent which performed "Toledo Surprise" from a 1920's-style musical I adored, "The Drowsy Chaperone". It brought back such great memories of the Armstrong Masquers' performance a year - or two or three! - ago!
There followed a very sweet song, sung in French.
I don't think many of those in the audience quite knew what to do with it, though, except to applaud nicely once it was done. The young woman did have a lovely voice!
Next up were the Anchor Sisters, modeled after the 1920's trio, the Andrews Sisters. Wow! "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree", and other toe-tappin', hand-clappin' tunes!!! Woohoo! And lookee here, I even found a recording on youtube to enjoy it again!
But my very favorite part of the show, the part that made me glad to be a woman, the part that stirred my soul... that was next! The Men of Motown was a quintet that danced and sang their way through some of my favorite songs ever! "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)", "Tears of a Clown", and "My Girl"!!! "Do You Love Me?", "Reach Out I'll Be There", and "I Can't Get Next To You"!!! Thank God i was already standing, because i know i would not have been able to stand sitting down during those songs!!!!
Whew! Just thinking about it brings such a smile to my face and to my heart!!!
(My thanks to Jerry the Lunatic for posting those videos. You're a sweetie, whoever you are!)
I tell you, even after all these years, there's something about a man in uniform that makes my heart skip a beat...
The entire Sea Chanters company came onstage after that, singing a few more traditional religious and military songs. Then, after the "Armed Services Medley", which gave tribute to the Army, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy, the concert was over.
They did give us an encore medley, though! I guess the packed house and fervent applause moved them to grace us with one more volley of song! And this was composed of several 1970's tunes, their "Bellbottom" group, inviting us to sing along... so you know I did, dancing along, too! Who wouldn't want to "Come On Get Happy"!
Oh, my! Look at the time! I can join the post-Philo Cafe discussion over at Chili's and burn off some of this energy!
(smile!)
And so I did.
Connie and Cedric were the only ones tonight, but that was fine with me. We three chemistry nerds, united once more! We hoisted several toasts tonight, them with their beers and me with my unsweet tea, to health, to life, to friendship!
Oh, what a night!
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