Thursday, November 8, 2012

The Marine Band

Dia duit! Happy Thursday! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. School has kept me really busy!

A few weeks ago, when I got home from school, Mam was standing in the living room with two tickets in her hand. She grinned ecstatically as she said, "The Marine Band is having a free concert here, in Maine!" I was surprised to hear her say this in English, since we were at home. Mam is usually very strict about "remaining as Irish as possible."

"Who?" I replied. I'd never heard of the "Marine Band" before.

"They're one of the best bands in the country! They perform for the president!"

"Um...who?" I asked again.

Mam was obviously getting impatient with me. "The Marine Band! They're a huge concert band that's been around for hundreds of years!"

I groaned. Of course it was a banna ceolchoirm leadrĂ¡nach. Mam plays the french horn in a community band, and is obsessed with classical music. "Can't I stay home with Daid?" I pleaded.

"No! This is a once and a life-time opportunity! We have to leave in 15 minutes if we want to get a good seat, so please throw on something nice and get in the car."

I sulked upstairs and changed into my favorite green and brown polka-dotted dress. When I climbed into the car, Mam gave me an apologetic smile before pushing the key into the ignition. We rode in silence for a while before Mam handed me her cell phone. "Ar mhaith leat cuireadh a thabhairt do chara?" she offered, tired of speaking in English.

I began to look through the contacts list. I could invite Dani, but she probably doesn't like classical music any more than I do. Then there's Jess, but she's all the way in Michigan. That left Charlotte and Zoe, my blogging friends who attended Jess, Dani and my Triple Birthday Party.

Charlotte picked up only seconds after the phone started ringing. "Hello?" she answered in a high-pitched, girly voice.

"Hey Charlotte! It's Saoirse--," I began before being interrupted by and enthusiastic scream.

"Oh Saoirse! I haven't talked to you in forever! Well, I talked to you on the phone last week, but it seems like forever ago! How have you been? Zoe and I are fine. Speaking of Zoe, did I ever tell you about the time she and I were raking leaves and--,"

"Yes Charlotte, you told me about that already." I heard Mam giggling in the driver's seat. Me and Charlotte's conversations almost always followed this same path. "Anyways," I continued, "I was wondering if you wanted to meet me at Bowdoin College. Some Marine Band is giving a free concert there. Zoe can come too if she wants."

Charlotte gasped dramatically. "The Marine Band? As in the president's Marine Band? Yes, yes, yes! They're only the best band in the whole wide world! Maybe they'll sign my flute for me? Omigosh, I'm so excited! I'll meet you there!" Charlotte hung up the phone without saying good-bye. I sighed as I handed the phone back to Mam. If my friends thought I was draining, they had obviously never met Charlotte.

When we arrived at Bowdoin College, the crowd was huge! I didn't expect this band to be that famous, especially since they were giving a free concert. It took me a while to find Charlotte, but when she spotted me she gave me a huge, suffocating hug. "Let's go get a good seat!" she squealed as she grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

The band started playing soon after we were seated. They were huge, with nearly every kind of instrument imaginable. And, they actually kept me attention! The first few songs were exciting, but it wasn't until the end that I became really interested. When my eyes were starting to droop after sitting there for over an hour, I heard something really familiar. The band was playing a traditional Irish song! 

The moment Mam and I recognized it, we proudly started singing along in Irish. Charlotte's cheeks immediately turned red, even though it was unlikely that anyone could hear us over the music!

Overall, I actually really enjoyed the concert! Not nearly as much as Charlotte or Mam, but much more than I thought I would! What concerts have you been to?

~Saoirse

6 comments:

  1. Hi Saoirse!

    I'm glad you ended up liking the concert after all! I know I did, though I still wish they could've signed my flute for me...

    I'm so glad we got to go see the concert together! I hope Zoe and I get to see you again soon!

    - Charlotte & Zoe :)

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    1. Dia duit, Charlotte and Zoe!

      I had a ton of fun! I hope I can see you guys again soon!!!

      <3 Saoirse

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  2. Salut, Saorise!
    I'm glad that you liked the band. I think playing for a band like that would be amazing. I play the flute, and my private instructor wants to get me started on the piccolo!
    Aurelie

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    1. Dia duit, Sabine!

      I've heard my friend Charlotte play the flute before, and it's such a pretty instrument! It's really cool that you know how to play it! The first time I'd ever heard a piccolo was during the concert, and it goes really high! I bet playing it will be a lot of fun!

      <3 Saoirse

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  3. That's so cool that you got to go hear them! (Even if it is classical music ;)) I think playing in a band like that would be really awesome, but definitely not for me. I play the piano, and everyone says I'm really good at it. I guess I think so too (not to toot my own horn or anything), but it stopped being fun a while ago. Preforming like that would be too much to handle for me!

    ~Dani

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    1. Dia duit, Dani!

      That's really cool that you can play the piano! I can see how it would start to get a little hard to handle, though. I would never be coordinated enough to play an instrument! ;)

      <3 Saoirse

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