Franklin Silver Cornet Band

I grew up in small-town America and in the course of the 18 years that I was a permanent resident I had not attended a concert by the Silver Cornet Band (which celebrates it's 155th birthday this year). My mom and I took Sarah and Emily to the band's first concert of the season - a Thursday "Concert in the Park".

People gathered in South Park on old blankets, old-school lawn chairs, and camp chairs. It was chilly so many covered themselves with blankets as well. My children were content to wear sweatshirts over their dresses (the same dresses they had refused to change out of in spite of my warning that they would get cold as the sun went down).

For a 7:30 show time (rather late to start a new activity for 4 and 2 year olds) and the fact that a silver cornet concert is nothing more than some people playing instruments on a somewhat distant stage, the girls enjoyed themselves.

I would have enjoyed it more myself had Emily not been begging for popcorn as if she hadn't just eaten a big dinner and hadn't just snacked on two cookies in the park right before the concert began.

Here's the band from our vantage point

I couldn't blog about tonight's concert without checking out the band's website (www.franklinsilvercornetband.com/) and sharing this piece of Americana with you:

There was a time when every town in America had its own band, when people gathered on the cool green grass on a warm summer evening to hear their friends and neighbors play band music. In Franklin (Venango County), Pennsylvania, that tradition continues. Founded in 1856, the Franklin Silver Cornet Band continues as a group of volunteers from throughout the community providing live music for our friends and neighbors.

1930s Franklin Silver Cornet Band