An enjoyable weekend filled with the Sound of Music

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/

FROM KEITH GROLLER

A whirlwind of a weekend has come and gone.

It included two high school football games -- Easton's win over Nazareth on Friday and Dieruff's victory over Allen on Saturday.

But it also included two musical shows.

One was the Macungie Minstrelaires "Country Jamboree" on Saturday night at the Lower Macungie Middle School and the first "Battle of the Bands" on Sunday afternoon at Jordan Lutheran Church in Orefield.

When you think music around here, you think about the big acts coming to Musikfest, the Allentown Fair, the Sands, Penn's Peak and the State Theater, among other venues.

I've been to those places and have seen lots of concerts over the years and enjoyed a majority of them.

However, what I saw this weekend was local talent on display. These were our Lehigh Valley neighbors doing the performing, folks who weren't commanding thousands of dollars to appear.

I enjoyed both shows immensely, and I say this without any requests to do any reviews or offer anything positive.

The Minstrelaires were paying tribute to my friend, the late Punkin Miller, and Punkin would've loved this year's show which mixed comedy with some great country music that spanned a couple of generations from the Johnny Cash/Tammy Wynette/George Jones era to the Blake Shelton/Carrie Underwood/Rascal Flatts chart-toppers of today.

The "Jamboree" eminded me of the old show "Hee Haw" TV show with its fast-moving skits.

You can tell the people in the Minstrelaires love what they do. They're having as much fun on stage as the audience is having watching it. I have no idea how many hours of preparation go into a show like theirs, but I can imagine it's a commitment that requires several practices per week for at least three months.

And then on Sunday, I was honored to serve as the master of the ceremonies for the first "Battle of the Bands" between the Marine Band of Allentown and American Legion Band of Bethlehem.

The reason I was asked to MC was because they wanted a sports-oriented theme and we billed it as part of "Rivalry Weekend."  I reminded the audience that Allentown and Bethlehem used to have a great traditional of playing high school football on Thanksgiving Day.

While the previous night's show showcased the singing and comedic talents of our communities, this show was all about the great musicians we possess in the Lehigh Valley. There was one soloist Abby Kern, a Parkland sophomore who delivered goosebumps with her performance of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up." Abby should consider trying out for "American Idol."

Otherwise, it was all about the sweet sounds coming from the trombones, trumpets, flutes, etc., under the direction of George Fennell (pictured at right in medieval battle garb) and Tom Heinick.

I particularly enjoyed the medleys from "West Side Story" "Cats," the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, the jazz and the patriotic toe-tappers..

I got so caught up in the music that I sometimes forgot that I had to get up and get to the podium to  introduce the next song.

It was truly my pleasure to extol the virtues of these two bands, who enhance the quality of life in our community.

If you get the chance to get out to see them perform, don't miss it. They are a treat and a local treasure.

As for who won? It ended in a tie. One band actually had one more vote than the other, but I cast my vote for the band that was one short to even it up. Trust me, no one deserved to lose this one. The audience, though, was the true winner.

I would like to thank the Marine Band of Allentown and the American Legion Band of Bethlehem for including me in their big night. I will never forget it.