Storm Troopers
We've not had much luck with the free concerts in Naperville this summer. On July 3rd we couldn't get near the place, yesterday it was the weather.
Let me explain. Every summer the Naperville Municipal Band offers free concerts in Central Park, Naperville. They are such an American event you almost feel yourself turning red, white and blue as you sit down. The band has been going since the 1850s, although I imagine the musicians themselves haven't been performing for quite that long.
The concert attracts a huge crowd, mostly of older people, some of whom come in buses from care homes. They park at the back of the park and open all the windows, so they can hear without having to go to the bother of struggling off and back on again.
Seating is provided on long lines of wooden benches, but many people bring lawn chairs and picnics.
The auditorium itself is a large brick building that backs onto the park. The back of it is painted with a huge mural depicting the history of the band, which folds up magically when the concert is about to begin.
The music is varied, yet somehow all sounds the same. Sousa meets Glenn Miller, if you will.
Every concert begins with a rousing rendition of the national anthem, which means the entire audience spins round to salute the giant flag fluttering at the back of the park.
Anyhow, after my disappointment at missing the Independence Day concert (complete with canons) last week, I made sure we got there early enough this time.
A thunderstorm was in progress as I prepared our picnic, but I was convinced it would be over by the time the concert was due to begin at 7.45 p.m.
By 7 p.m. it was indeed bright and sunny again, so we packed up the stuff (two chairs, a table, a huge bag of food and an umbrella just in case) and set off for the park. (Actually it was a huge bag of plastic boxes containing very little food. Back on Weight Watchers again).
We had no trouble parking this time, sat down and enjoyed our picnic.
The sound men came out to set up their deck and the mural opened up. The anthem played and we all spun round to look at the flag.
As we looked up, we saw that the sun had gone, replaced by the scariest bank of black clouds I had ever seen.
The band managed one tune before they packed up and we all made a run for it. Apparently that type of cloud formation is known as a bow echo, and it produced a heavy thunderstorm which lasted for over two hours.
At least we managed the picnic this week. Can't wait to see what happens next Thursday.
Let me explain. Every summer the Naperville Municipal Band offers free concerts in Central Park, Naperville. They are such an American event you almost feel yourself turning red, white and blue as you sit down. The band has been going since the 1850s, although I imagine the musicians themselves haven't been performing for quite that long.
The concert attracts a huge crowd, mostly of older people, some of whom come in buses from care homes. They park at the back of the park and open all the windows, so they can hear without having to go to the bother of struggling off and back on again.
Seating is provided on long lines of wooden benches, but many people bring lawn chairs and picnics.
The auditorium itself is a large brick building that backs onto the park. The back of it is painted with a huge mural depicting the history of the band, which folds up magically when the concert is about to begin.
The music is varied, yet somehow all sounds the same. Sousa meets Glenn Miller, if you will.
Every concert begins with a rousing rendition of the national anthem, which means the entire audience spins round to salute the giant flag fluttering at the back of the park.
Anyhow, after my disappointment at missing the Independence Day concert (complete with canons) last week, I made sure we got there early enough this time.
A thunderstorm was in progress as I prepared our picnic, but I was convinced it would be over by the time the concert was due to begin at 7.45 p.m.
By 7 p.m. it was indeed bright and sunny again, so we packed up the stuff (two chairs, a table, a huge bag of food and an umbrella just in case) and set off for the park. (Actually it was a huge bag of plastic boxes containing very little food. Back on Weight Watchers again).
We had no trouble parking this time, sat down and enjoyed our picnic.
The sound men came out to set up their deck and the mural opened up. The anthem played and we all spun round to look at the flag.
As we looked up, we saw that the sun had gone, replaced by the scariest bank of black clouds I had ever seen.
The band managed one tune before they packed up and we all made a run for it. Apparently that type of cloud formation is known as a bow echo, and it produced a heavy thunderstorm which lasted for over two hours.
At least we managed the picnic this week. Can't wait to see what happens next Thursday.
posted by Hilary at
2:53 PM
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