One way we measure if a gig was a good one is by how many people hang around after the program to talk to us and by how long they are willing to wait their turn. By this measure, last night was a total success. The good people at
Forestville Baptist Church really seemed to enjoy the evening.
We did have fun playing all the songs "from our courtin' days" as one lady put it. Her husband quickly chimed in, "And from our honeymoon days." Then he looked at her with a big grin. These songs trigger powerful memories.
One sweet lady came to tell us, "This was the best entertainment we've had...."
and she paused and thought for a few seconds....."in YEARS!" We hear similar comments often. Now we will never win a prize for playing perfect music but we have learned a lot about how to entertain a crowd.
A couple came up with a different kind of question ---"What is the youngest age in your group?"
61 "Well, then what is the oldest?"
mid-80s So glad they didn't ask WHO was the oldest and youngest!
A man who, retired from 33 years of teaching music and years of experience playing in rock 'n roll bands, asked how he might join our group. Many of our current members came to us just this way. They saw us perform and decided they had to do this, too.
People continued to hang around as we packed up sound equipment, still chatting and just enjoying the fellowship. The last few followed us to the car and were still asking about how they could book us for other groups. Good thing we had printed out more brochures before this program.
And, perhaps the best measure of how much the huge crowd enjoyed us was when the gentleman in charge of programs asked, "Can we book you to come again?"
Some Enchanted Evening, Rogers & Hammerstein, from the musical South Pacific, 1949
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