Skip to main content

End of the Season for Real

Saturday evening, my orchestra performed the final concert of the season. I may have said that a couple of weeks ago, but this time I really mean it. We performed a special program featuring the story telling of Vane Scott, a local guy who has written a monologue about the history of the American flag. Our orchestra conductor wrote the music that goes behind the story, and we performed it for a live video recording that will be sold once it's polished and edited a bit. I felt like it was kind of a now-or-never performance/recording because Mr. Scott is quite aged.

He has this voice, deep and smooth, that put me in mind of every educational film I ever saw in grade school--the History of Mesopotamia or How A Bill Becomes A Law or The Splitting of the Atom. The only difference here is that Mr. Scott's head piece was put together with duct tape--I'm not kidding.

While I tend to mock this presentation, it really is very well done. There is a bit of old-man humor in the story telling, but over all it's very good, and I believe I will order the DVD when it is produced. Besides, I might have a closeup. I doubt it, though, as brass players look a bit like pug dogs when they play. You really shouldn't take pictures of them during performances.

In honor of Mr. Scott, I would like to list the various occupations/vocations he has held over the span of 80-plus years. I hope my list is as varied and interesting when I am his age:

Navy combat veteran in WW2
Owner of a flag company
Decorator of Eisenhower's inauguration
Parade coordinator for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Miss America Homecomings
Parade float designer and driver
Lounge singer
Big Band vocalist
Story teller

Comments

dive said…
And also "wearer of seriously bad shirt".
You must get the DVD, Robyn, and screen-grab any shots of you making funny expressions and post them for us.
What do you mean, no?
7:26 AM
Scout said…
No means no, Dive, so forget it.
7:28 AM
dive said…
Hee hee. I'm going to have to order one of those DVDs myself.
7:44 AM
Sassy Sundry said…
He looks like a lounge singer.
10:21 AM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
Sounds like quite a guy although we seem to have a number of "story tellers" here in blog land.

when you order the DVD order a copy for me as well. :))
11:57 AM
Neponset River Bridge Dig said…
what is that shirt he's wearing? -reminds me of the episode of Seinfeld when Gerry has to wear the same kind of shirt when he appears on the tonight show.
11:59 AM
Gina said…
I'm sure he is a very nice man, but he needs to ditch the person who convinced him to wear that shirt for his head shot!
12:24 PM
Scout said…
It's so funny that you all are disturbed by his shirt. It's part of his early American costume--imagine it with a tri-corner hat, knickers, a big black leather belt, hose, and buckled shoes.

It is a bit like Seinfeld's puffy shirt, but at least he matches it with the full get-up.
12:41 PM
Alifan said…
Robyn... ask Dive about a shirt in bright blue satin...tee hee as Ame would say...but must admit it was worn at a gig!!!!!!

Whoops...
2:37 AM
dive said…
That's a dirty lowdown trick for a Mother to play!
I found that shirt lurking in my gig wardrobe a few years ago and it gave me the fright of my life!
5:33 AM
Scout said…
Dive, I believe we are due a picture of this shiny blue shirt. What do you think?
7:06 AM
dive said…
I think no does indeed mean no, young Robyn.
8:57 AM
Alifan said…
Better not post that Robyn, my son would never forgive me, he is not happy about telling you!!!!but I thought he looked good at the time!again i will borrow Ame's Tee Hee...
4:56 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No More Mr. Nice Guy

It's good to be a nice person--to say nice things, to do nice things, to write nice things--but I declare an end to the use of the word nice. Nice is what you say when you can't think of any other adjective. Someone shows you a picture of their back yard--that's nice. Someone tells you about their afternoon adventure--that's nice. Or someone describes their childhood in great detail and sometimes with painstaking effort--that's nice. It's a lazy word, and it's non-descriptive. Nice is like mashed potatoes with noodles and chicken gravy all in a big pile on one plate with some canned corn for garnish. Everything is the same color and texture and base substance--starch (this is a favorite Amish dish). Nice is like a partly cloudy day in April when outside feels like inside, and you can't tell a difference between the lighting and the temperature of your living room and the lighting and temperature of your front yard. Nice is a glass of lukewarm water. ...
20 comments
Read more

Am I Stupid, or What?

In two weeks, I will climb up into a charter bus, take my assigned seat, and ride 22 hours straight to Orlando, Florida. I will be a chaperon with the high school marching band, which will perform at Disney's Magic Kingdom--me and 180 people on four big buses for seven days. We will travel together, eat together, play together, fall down exhausted together--and after 22 hours, I suspect stink to high heaven together. Because of the crazy schedule, we will leave Ohio at 6 pm, travel all night and most of the next day, and spend several hours at MGM Studios before ending up at the hotel sometime after 7 pm. After I check in with the eight girls I am to supervise, I intend to shower and shower and shower. I intend to wear clean clothes and socks and brush my teeth until my toothbrush wears out. Of all the things I could be concerned about on this trip, being dirty seems to weigh heaviest on my mind. One of my eight charges could run off and do bad things with her boyfriend, but I'...
21 comments
Read more

An Offending Pile

So, I'm standing in my living room letting my mind wander for a minute or two as I stare out the window and watch the day go by, and I see my neighbors walking their dogs down the street. They are nice neighbors who are always friendly and responsible with their property. That is to say they aren't like the other neighbors who heap rubbish behind their house like Ma and Pa Kettle and let their dogs bark for thirty minutes at a time . Anyway, I see the nice people walking their dogs, a big golden retriever who is as sweet as can be and as dumb as a post—he once ate a sock and nearly died before it was surgically removed—and a new golden retriever puppy. Then I see Neighbor Wife suddenly run down the street with the big dog. Then I see Neighbor Husband stopped in front of my house with the puppy on its leash. And then I see the puppy taking a huge dump in my grass. Let me tell you, that is not done in this town unless the dog owner has a plastic bag handy and is ready to pick up ...
16 comments
Read more