It was a lovely day for marching this year; not too hot, not too cold. We assembled as per usual by the Arts Centre coffee man and congratulated ourselves on our dedication not only to our country but to the caffeine that gets us up in the morning.
The march kicked off this year a little later than expected and sans jet fighter much to everyone’s chagrin; however the road was clear of horses which meant smooth marching and clean shoes for all. The band played both Aussie Folk Song Medley and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo to a hefty crowd and was introduced four times by the man on the microphone as we marched past the dignitary’s tent.
As soon as the band had parallel marched into the parking bay, we were off and racing toward Mt Macedon for the annual Joy94.9 Picnic fundraiser at Forest Glade. All seemed well, as our intrepid band members began the steep ascent, however as they drew closer to the summit a heavy fog engulfed performers, instruments, lunch men, and general merrymakers.
A thick band of uncertainty had permeated throughout the mountain as people were on the edge of their well hidden and slightly damp picnic rugs… Would the band play? Would the chorus sing? Who will break through the fog and bring light and peppiness to the picnic?
The Melbourne Rainbow Band, with a brand new stand and blow repertoire, accepted the challenge! We threw off our warm clothes, donned the all too vivid blue polo and blasted apart the mist that had set in earlier that morning. With a walk-on rendition of Sing, Sing, Sing, a brassed up Poker Face, and many more we put on a great show, sold some CD’s, and had a wonderful lunch in the gardens.
Huge thanks to Penny and Liz at Event Logistics for including us in the Australia Day Parade and their continued support of the MRB, to everyone at Joy94.9 for organizing such a wonderful community picnic, and to Cyril Stokes for his beautiful gardens as well as his tremendous support over many years.
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