Portsmouth Holiday Parade

For the third year in a row, the PMAC New Horizons Band entered a float in the Portsmouth Holiday Parade, and the bar was once again raised...

Let me first say that I really enjoy participating in the Portsmouth Holiday Parade. And this year the weather was such that we had some of the largest crowds we've ever seen. The members of the New Horizons Band and Wind Ensemble did a wonderful job performing on the float, and the float itself was nicer than it has ever been, much thanks to Aimee, one of our clarinetists who went above and beyond to decorate the float!

Aimee created five large candles and eight pairs of carolers for the float - with plywood and wonderful painting. That combined with the continued hard work of Dick (drums) and Jim (tuba) to create a safe railing around the large truck while overseeing the engineering of the float, made for a successful float and parade. Many volunteers came to our aid in making the parade float possible, and it is because of such community efforts that PMAC continues to thrive.

Our holiday selection for this parade was "Deck the Halls", which we must have performed 20 times over course of the parade. The only down side to the event was the unfortunate accident on a float in front of us, when a young child fell from the float and was seriously injured. But Portsmouth's rescue teams were on the spot quickly and we all hope for a quick and full recovery for the young boy.

This parade is just one of many events the New Horizons Band participates in each year. I can't say enough how wonderful this group of adult student musicians is, and what a life-changing experience participation in the program is (both for the students and the teachers!). Remember, this program is an open to any adult - whether you've played music before or not. We'll have you up and playing in no time!

So a great big thanks to everyone who made the 2006 parade such a big success. Thanks to Ricci Lumber for donating the truck and driver (thanks Bruce!). And thanks to Woodcraft of Newington for donating cutting services to create the carolers and candles for the parade. And thanks to everyone - I'm sure things are slipping my mind and I'm unitentionally leaving someone out. The day was a hit!

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ADDED LATER:
Sadly, I just learned that the 9 year old boy who fell from the float in yesterdays parade did not survive. Unfortunatley he suffered severe trauma when he was run over by the truck he fell from. My sincerest condolences go out to his family and loved ones.