The correlation between Dan Dalpra and Harold Hill who was portrayed by Robert Preston in the 1962 film, the Music Man is this .. they both are promoters of music, in their own right. One in film and one in Bemus Point NY. In the iconic film 'Professor' Harold Hill arrived in River City, Iowa to promote music as did Dan Dalpra. Dan arrived in Bemus to promote music along with his love of Italian food and bringing the arts to the people through the magic of music. Magic that first emanated from the roof of Dan's restaurant resulting a few years later in the magic finding its way to an amazing covered stage .. that floats!
One of the iconic songs in the Music Man is Seventy Six Trombones. When the Bemus Bay Pops Symphony Orchestra took to that restaurant roof in Bemus Point the conductor was the esteemed, Bruce Morton Wright. Upon his untimely passing the conductor's baton passed to a master of the trombone, John Marcellus who played trombone with the symphony orchestra before becoming its renowned conductor.
Seventy Six Trombones was composed by Meredith Willson and arranged by Leroy Anderson who wrote Sleigh Ride and played by almost every high school band during the holiday season. I played clarinet in my high school band and Sleigh Ride was always among the holiday selections. The conductor was Mr. Lyman Wood.
Seventy Six Trombones led the big parade, With a hundred & ten cornets close at hand. They were followed by rows and rows, Of the finest virtuosos, The cream of every famous band. Seventy six trombones caught the morning sun, With a hundred & ten cornets right behind. There were over a thousand reeds, Springing up like weeds, There were horns of every shape & size. There were copper bottom timpani in horse platoons, Thundering, thundering, all along the way. Double bell euphoniums and big bassoons, Each bassoon having its big fat say. There were fifty mounted canons in the battery, Thundering, thundering, louder than before. Clarinets of every size, And trumpets who'd improvise. A full octave higher than the score! Seventy six trombones hit the counterpoint, While hundred and ten cornets blazed away. To the rhythm of Harch! Harch! Harch! All the kids began to march, And they're marching still right today!
The word, harsh in the lyrics is the command issued by the Drum Major of a marching band.
For those who have been Pops concert-goers throughout the 20 years in Bemus Point we thank you. Those amazing years made Dan "the music man" of Chautauqua County, then and now .. with the Pops having relocated to Mayville in 2019.
The Pops tradition continues ..
Thank you, Dan.
Pat Locke, Maestro Muse
