Trix on Tour (2): The first days

Beatrix Drum & Bugle Corps is on tour in the United States to take part in the DCI competition. Episode 2: The first days in the USA, missing uniforms and the first rehearsal.

Sunday, July 18
Today, Beatrix will make a long journey on the bus to Rome NY. This trip wasn't planned originally, but because the percussion still isn't there and we also have to wait for the uniforms that are still missing, the planning had to be adjusted. After a lot of calling back and forth, we got a location for one night. In the meantime, heaven and earth are moved to locate all the missing stuff and to get it to the Corps.

An emergency location and for one night only, without showers, but with the most friendly and helpful hosts. The members were already happy this location could be arranged, because this solution allows them to go to the Niagara Falls. There was an enthousiastic rehearsal and when you look at the flexibility of the members, you can just see that it will be a SUPER tour.

Monday, July 19
Getting up at 7.30 AM and leaving at 9.00 AM. Everything had to be clean and cleaned up before we left. Because of an enormous team spirit not only breakfast, cleaning and cleaning up, but also the daily talk was done even before nine. Leaving for the new location where we will stay until Wednesday. First hit the showers and then off to Canada to watch Niagara Falls. On the way to Canada a phone call: the uniforms are found and also the percussion is on its way to our location. What a relief that was. An enormous cheering and even some tears of joy went through three buses. Now the tour can REALLY start.

Upon arrival a silence comes over all of us. What an enormous impressive site this natural miracle is. Remarks by members, like "Gee, you feel really small here, what a brute force." Many beautiful pictures and films were made. It was, in one word, magnificient. One of the busdrivers had arranged that we could shop Duty Free just before we crossed the border to America again.

Some of the support staff and staff members continued working to assemble the instruments, completely sponsored by Adams and Pearl, that had arrived in the meantime. Beautiful, these super instruments. There are no words for it. Tomorrow there will be rehearsals from 8.30 AM until 10.00 PM. Everybody is having a great time. The atmosphere is fantastic and everybody is ready for a day of hard work.

Tuesday, July 20
Tuesday was going to be the first full rehearsal day. The rehearsal was devided in three blocks. The first part was followed by a lunch and after that a block until 5.00 PM. Due to the fact that there was no light at the location a run was done at the end of the afternoon block.

For Dutch standards it was very hot in Marion. It was certainly in the thirty degrees celcius. We had to adjust to that. The members worked very hard and the show improved a lot. The new percussion, what was completed during the morning, looks great and you could feel that the members liked it a lot to be able to rehearse again.

At 5.30 PM it was dinner time. Co made a great meal again and the members were eating a lot. It looks like the food is disapearing like snow in the sun. After dinner the last block was started, with a standstill run to finish it off. Beatrix is ready for its first contest on American grounds. The first show will be in Lynn tomorrow. (Text: beatrix.org)