Thursday 4th August 2011
Breakfast at the Anchorage Inn and Suites, Portsmouth, NH was much the same as Harwich, MA. So after having our fill of bagels, muffins, home made waffles, tea, coffee and fuit juices we tried to find space in the conference room for a quick morning rehearsal. It turned out that the conference room was standing room only so our rehearsal was moved to the next biggest avaliable space we could find...the hotel car park.
After the rehearsal in the cool morning air we had a bit of free time and a chance for a coach ride into and a look round Portsmouth, and the park where we'd be playing that afternoon.
1.30pm and we were back on the coach with the van and our instruments in tow as we headed to Prescott Park to set up for our concert, which was part of the Prescott Park's Festival of the Arts. At 3pm there were in excess of 150 people around the Park waiting to hear us perform. Needless to say it was very warm in the mid-afternoon sun and sun cream and hats were a must. Before we played there was a small ceremony as gifts and words of friendship were passes between Postsmouth, UK and Portsmouth, USA (It is believed that this was the first such exchange in the towns' history).
We opened proceedings with The Star Spangled Banner and proceeded through our first half set list:
Prelude for an Occasion
Porstmouth
Adagio from Concerto de Aranjuez
Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
The Stars and Stripes Forever
Soul Bossa Nova
Li'l Darlin'
James Bond Collection
Second Half:
Castell Coch
English Folk Songs Suite
Bacharach for Brass
Fascinating Drums
Valero
Everybody Needs Somebody
God Bless America
The Americans loved us again giving us another standing ovation.
After the concert we went back to the hotel and those who wanted to go for chinese could get on the coach at 7pm otherwise dinner was a fend-for-yourself affair. There were plenty of choices for those who didn't want to go for chinese including a local diner, or Dominos pizza delivery straight to the hotal room!
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