The Bridgemen Drum & Bugle Corps (of Bayonne, NJ) traveled to Harrisburg, PA on Saturday, April 14, 2007 to be a part of a very special event. Through the years, the annual “Serenade in Brass” show has brought together many fine corps for indoor performances and to preview their summer shows. It would turn out to be a momentous day for the Bridgemen and became a turning point in building our momentum toward the 2007 season.

We arrived in Harrisburg, the capitol of Pennsylvania, and met in a small park by the government buildings that dot the landscape. We were blessed with beautiful spring weather, a warm sun, and clear skies. Considering that the forecast called for a Nor’easter on the way, it was an odd way to begin the day.

Around 1:30, we gathered around Executive Director George Lavelle, Jr. as he spurred us on to make the most of our time together. The horns and drum peeled away to begin sectionals, while many of our color guard (who would not perform because of the limited stage size) cheered us on.

Warmups gave way to tackling our music and cleaning it up to max out our show. Our staff expressed their excitement at our progress and how GOOD we sounded and looked. Fans and passersby realized how far we've come this year.

Our appointed time for a sound check arrived and we made our way into the building from a side entrance. What we'd heard from members who'd been there before proved true. It has a beautiful theater with tasteful old-world sensibility. It's a small, intimate setting that seats a few thousand. Its extraordinary acoustics would make the most of our hornline and drumline. The show organizer, Larry Hershman, had a microphone and pointed out that this show has stayed off the radar to keep it a small, special event. He welcomed us to the show for the first time and we readied ourselves for a runthrough. We played through some of our 2007 show and were met with the enthusiasm of fans who had arrived early to take in the pre-show. Former member Frank Bentivegna came on stage afterward to chat with his baritone buddies and said, “You guys sound phenomenal. Let me tell you, I've been here for a while and you guys woke the place up!” His words would prove prophetic.

We gathered outside to make a presentation to drummers Carl Marsteller and his wife Leslie. Earlier, we collected contributions to help ease the financial burden of these new parents.

In the evening, we gathered again, in our classic yellow and black uniforms (with new purple-ish bandanas/hat scarves), to prepare ourselves mentally & physically. And to run over our routines to be as clean as possible. We found a little cubby hole in the capitol building, overlooking the park, that was under a dome surrounded by two staircases. The spot provided a pretty vista of the park and let us keep dry as the light rain fell. We could see the excitement on our drum majors' faces as we rehearsed. The more revved up we became, the more enthusiastic they became. When warmups concluded, Drum Major John Richard told me he almost could not believe how far ahead of last year's corps we are. John said, “We're stronger NOW than we were back in September at season's end. If this is where we are now in April, boy oh boy, I can't WAIT for summer to get here!”

We were privileged to go on last at this show; we were chosen for the final slot to save the best for last. We filed into the building that held the theater and waited as patiently as we could. “When can we get out there!?” we bellowed. We wished some Caballeros Alumni well and got to see Jimmy Russo and Frank Ponzo briefly as they moved along hurriedly. After wishing each other well, we were finally ushered into the staging area and were invited to take the stage. 58 horn players and 24 drummers lined up in huge arcs across the stage. The audience buzzed about how many of us there were and buckled in for what we would unleash. The announcer welcomed us and commented, “The Bridgemen were perhaps the most entertaining corps in DCI History. Here tonight, for your pleasure, we present.... the Bridgemen!”

Drum Major Jim Jordan, in his all-white uniform, saluted to let everyone know we were ready to perform. He turned back to us to bring up our horns, and got the tempo going. The count-off of “1-2-3-4” led to the opening “Fanfare” that gave way to the demanding mellophone trills and range of “Ritual Fire Dance/Sabre Dance.” Rob Hunter's solo was met with cheers and set the stage for what was to come. Our horns and drums met the challenge of Larry Kerchner's and Dennis Delucia's demanding charts. We entertained the crowd with our unstoppable drive and soaked in their appreciation when our horns and drumsticks came down at song's end.

Then “My Favorite Things” took the audience on a joy ride through the myriad changing moods and jazzy riffs; sometimes playful, sometimes serious, sometimes exhultant. The end of the driving drum feature, into the aggressive hornline return, had the crowd worked up and applauding loudly. The excitement on the Drum Majors' faces said it all as our performance continued and we kept laying it on to show what we're made of.

“In The Stone” resurrected one of the crowd favorites in our arsenal, which let loose the funky, celebrant sound that many have come to expect of us. “ITS” ended too soon as we knew we had made a lasting connection with the audience. “William Tell” had the crowd applauding as soon as they heard the opening phrase. We kept up the intensity as we managed to crank up the intensity of the double forte “Amen“ at the end with the final chord.

The ROAR of the audience showed us they were out to give their all in return as we stood there, basking in the crowd's loud applause and adulation. We knew that the audience LOVED the showmen in yellow and black as they stood and welcomed us to the show. The announcer asked the crowd, “So what do you think, shall we invite them back next year?” The audience's loud cheering told us that “Serenade in Brass” will become a mainstay of our schedule for years to come.

Afterward, we filed back to our bus and equipment truck, to circle up around George Lavelle. He thanked us for the hard work we'd put in during the day and reminded us that the roar of the crowd was why we do this. We had set the bar higher that day and our commitment to excellence would carry us through the coming rehearsals. Next month, we return outdoors to finalize the show that will premiere at our home show, Tournament of Stars,on June 23rd at Veteran's Stadium in Bayonne. Where we'll prove to the drum corps community that a new era has dawned for the Bridgemen.