| Military bandsmen also play Heralds . . . SOMETIMES!
As Army bandsmen, my fellow trumpeters and I absolutely hated to play 'em. Here's why:
1. All that extra weight waaaaay out front of you makes holding the horn up properly a real challenge. The weight of the horn trying to tip forward can really tire your chops fast! Then . . .
2. Add the weight (for ceremonies) of a very heavy banner loaded with thick gold thread embroidery, and the chops could be hamburger in a few minutes. Tnen . . .
3. Try to march with those @@#@#%$% things, complete with heavy banners blowing in the wind as you stepped in holes, during a "Pass and Review" ceremony for a battalion . . . and you'd never want to pick up a Herald Trumpet again!
Frankly, before I even got to my unit the band had been excused from having to march with our herald trumpets. No one had the chops to do it . . . and you risked a great chance of permanent chop injury or busted teeth if you did it.
We only used ours when trying to impress kids during traveling concerts that were mainly recruiting things for the band.
A HIGH POINT . . .
I'll never forget the time we were on tour and at a large high school. The year was 1974 . . . not a high mark year for kids wanting to join the military back in those anti-war times.
Well . . . the entire school filled the gym. The band was smartly dressed in our special dress blue formal uniforms that only Army bandsmen wear. At the sound of the first drum roll the trumpet section marched crisply out in front of the band with our heralds. At my direction we all began a slow, synchronized, clockwise sweep of our heralds until we were holding them in playing position . . . with those @#@$$ heavy banners looking "cool."
We were about half way through our somber "sweep" when I heard the loud CLANG, CLANG, CLANG on the gym floor. The sound echoed off the walls of the gym . . . slowly being overtaken, volume-wise, by the laughter of students. Looking down, ol' Jack's bell was laying on the floor. Man did he look stupid trying to still look serious as we began the "Star Spangled Banner" with that goofy Getzen herald without it's bell attached!!!
Ah . . . memories! We could hardly play, trying to keep from laughing so hard that we would shake while at "Attention!"
Tom |