Advocate band takes show on the road

By BRENDA S. EDWARDS

Staff Writer

Members of The Advocate Brass Band are gearing up for an European concert tour just weeks after the Danville's Great American Brass Band Festival.

This will be the first international tour the band has taken. Actually, it has only had two performances outside of Danville -- in Louisville and Washington, D.C. -- in its 13-year history.

During the 12-day tour in July and August, the Advocate band will perform in Herforst and Leimen, Germany, and in towns in Luxembourg, Belgium and The Netherlands during the five-day concert tour.

The European tour idea came about while Advocate Band Director George Foreman was scouting out bands to bring some international flavor to Danville's band festival this year. While visiting friends in the small town of Herforst, Foreman was invited to play with the Musikverein Herforst town band. He invited the Herforst band to the festival here, and promised the Advocate Band would perform this summer in the German town of 1,000 people.

The Advocate band tour begins with a performance July 29 in Diekirch in Luxembourg.

On July 30, American music will flow through the festival which has designated the night performance as German-American Friendship Night, said Foreman.

Military personnel at a nearby U.S. Air Force Base in Spangdahlem have been invited as special guests for The Advocate Brass Band performance.

Foreman said while he was in Herforst last summer, a large tent was set up with tables will all sorts of food and "the national beverage was available in abundance. It was a wonderful time being there."

Since there are no motels or places large enough to house the American band members during their visit in Herforst, the Advocate band members will stay in homes of local townspeople.

The third concert will be Aug. 1 in Leimen, Germany, then on to Brugge, the center for making lace and tapestries in Belgium. The final concert for the local band will be Aug. 5 in Alphen ana den Rijn, Netherlands.

Foreman said 55 people, including 35 band members, several national known professional players and family and friends will be on the tour.

"I predict the band will be quite good with the local members and professionals playing together," said Foreman.

"We've been invited to march in a parade, but we haven't decided on that yet," he said.

Foreman is not the only one looking forward to returning to Europe to show what this small town band can do. Organizers and band members are getting fired up about the international trip, too.

Mary Schurz, publisher of the Advocate, is excited to be going back to an area she visited during her college years.

She also thinks the local band has done a good job with its spring and fall park concerts and the brass band festivals.

"This is a good group and they've earned a trip," she said.

The idea of a local brass band originated from her enjoyment of the town bands she heard in parks in Vienna, Austria. By going back, she can see how the local band compares with those in Europe.

In preparation for the trip, Schurz has been brushing up on her German and also watching the weather reports.

Retired medical doctor James W. Ramey is studying European maps so he can keep up with the itinerary.

"I'm also reviewing my German that I studied 50 years ago in college," said Ramey, who plays the drums.

"I'm looking forward with anticipation to the events."

Former high school band director Bill Gravely of Harrodsburg, who fought in the Battle of the Bulge during World War II, has mixed feelings about going back to a place where he fought against the German forces.

However, he is looking forward to seeing Europe in the summer. When he was there the last time, it was below zero weather and the ground was covered with snow.

While Gravely has some "unpleasant vibes" from the whole scene, he thinks he can "pull it off one way or another."

"I'm looking forward to seeing Ettelbruch and its new arts center," said 75-year-old Gravely. "There was a lot of rubble there when I was there the first time. It was not pleasant."

When he's not busy with the band, Gravely plans a trip to Diekirch, 15 miles from Ettelbruch, where there is a museum that pays tribute to the people who fought in the Battle of the Bulge.

Gravely said the Europeans love band music and he's looking forward to playing before live audiences.

"George Foreman is a miracle worker and he deserves all the credit he can get (for this trip)," said Gravely. "I hope he stays around (Danville) for a while,"

Nancy Taylor, who has been playing the cornet with the band since she came to Danville two years ago, will make her final performance on the European tour. After studying trumpet at Centre College, then as a visiting professor at Centre, Taylor is leaving Danville to be a professor of trumpet at State University of Dayton in Ohio.

"I've never been to Germany before, and this is a great way to go," Taylor said, adding that with DiMartino and Foreman planning the trip, it will be special.

She's also looking forward to marching in a parade during some of the performances.

Financing the $100,000 tour has not presented a problem, said Foreman.

Band members are paying a certain amount of the expense and members agreed to take their usual honorarium for playing in the band to pay part of the fee. Spouses and other guests are paying full price.

The local Rotary Club and the patron of the band, The Advocate-Messenger, have made contributions, he said. The remainder of the money has been raised through other sources.