A Silver Anniversary

I’m writing this in the car…please excuse the typos!

The Big Band celebrated its silver anniversary last night. 25 years is quite a milestone for the longevity of anything, especially a band. Mr. C was a founding member, and since we’ve moved away he has managed to attend a few rehearsals on trips back, and has played in four gigs! He’ll play a fifth gig with them next week when the band plays its annual lunchtime concert in LePage Park. I think that means he’s still a member of the band, lol!

Anyway, in honour of 25 years, the band hosted a dance and invited all the past members to sit in. People were there that I hadn’t seen in years, it was amazing! A few folks even flew into town for the reunion. How great is that. 

It was an emotional evening for me. I found myself, part way through the evening suddenly awash in tears. I couldn’t stop,them. They just flowed out of my eyes like one of those fountains where the water just flows down a rock wall, a trickle that dampens the and ferns and mosses. Except my face was far from being rock. 
My tears were of tears of the joy I feel when I’m playing that music that I love so much, tears of playing the bari, following the lead player in the sax line, tears of love of the instrument with its big metal Berg Larson mouthpiece, doing what it’s supposed to do, which is snorting around on the bottom end of the sax line with George on bass in my right ear and the bass bone in my left; tears having a new role in the band (guest); tears of pride to be an alumnus; tears of revisiting what used to be a very big part of my life, looking down the line and there’s Kelly where he always used to sit, Leith beside him on tenor, Rebecca on vocals, up for the anniversary from Maple Ridge, BC, Mark on drums like the old days, Fawn on keys where she always used to be…and I realized that it doesn’t get any better than this. Happy and sad, pensive and elated. Emotion isn’t just joy or sadness, it’s much, much more than that. And it’s all coursing through me right now. I think a few cups of tea with old friends and a few more tears are in store for me yet today. 

  

Brought to you by the Letter B

For your listening pleasure, I present to you a whole lot of letter Bs! 

The venue is the fabulous Yukon Arts Center, Whitehorse Yukon, part of the last show I produced there. Rockin’ the Casbah, March 19, 2011. Some of my favourite people played in that band. Mr. C was director & I was the bari sax player, but you’ll see my horn is on its stand for this tune. I was backstage getting changed for a dance number! 

Here you go…enjoy!

Gareth Howells on trumpet with The Big Band in Bye Bye Blackbird.


I’m participating in the Blogging From A-Z challenge.  One blog post for each letter of the alphabet, each day of April (except Sunday).  Come back tomorrow for the letter C! 

  

Throwback Thursday: Bellydance & Big Band

Two of the things I miss the most all wrapped up into one pretty package!

I miss the creative expression that choreographing for the troupe allowed me to indulge in. And DAMN I miss playing that big band music!

From 2011: Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps: a cane dance, choreographed by me and performed by Saba Middle Eastern Dance Ensemble & The Big Band.

Walking in Whitehorse: the Millennium Trail

Take a walk with me today!

The Millennium Trail is my favourite Whitehorse walk. Starting at the S.S. Klondike, it follows the Yukon River in a 5 km loop, crossing the river at the Whitehorse Dam. It takes about an hour to walk the dog, depending on how active the “pee-mail” message boards are. 🙂

If you’re reading this on your tablet, you will need to go directly to the website to see the slide show as movies don’t seem to work on tablets or phones.

Music by The Big Band (and you can clearly hear me on bari sax, lol!) Enjoy!

Linking up with Lily’s Quilts Small Blog Meet

Rockin’ the Casbah Finale (finally!)

One by one, I’m finally getting all of the show cuts up here for your viewing pleasure. 🙂

Visiting this show has really made me miss my troupe. This was one butt-kicking dance troupe, let me tell ya! Talk about a talented, fun group of gals. I sure wish they could have stayed together. Anyway, here is the finale to our best show ever – Rockin’ the Casbah. I choreographed the finale to  New York New York, live by The Big Band. Well, the show was a fusion of Big Band and Bellydance, after all! What better way to end it?  Enjoy!

 

The Big Band at Fireweed Market

Two weeks ago (June 20th) we played at the Fireweed Market. For your listening pleasure, here we are playing Hay Burner!

(if you’re getting this via email, you may need to go directly to the website to view the performance)

(I’m the one playing baritone sax, bouncing around in my purple dress at the end of the sax line. I don’t know how everyone else can sit so still, but I’m weird that way, I guess)