Golden Eagles soaring in Scotland

There's nothing quite like a marching band. I've seen a few of them over the years, particularly when our older son was in his high school's marching band.

That high school band was a great source of community pride. It competed several times a year and always did well. My wife and I spent quite a few hours each year sitting on hard bleachers watching bands show off their latest routines and their musical ability. What fun it was.

Every time I get down in the dumps about misguided teenagers, a concern that's been around now for, let's see, thousands of years, I think of those enthusiastic band members who worked so hard to excel. And succeeded.

Our son was in the marching band during the years choreographed routines were breaking out of the line-'em-up-in-straight-lines formations. How band members knew where to go to make those wavy, undulating patterns is beyond me.

I was in a high school marching band too, but our marching was nothing to brag about. The high school band in my favorite hometown in the Ozarks over yonder was, in those days, deservedly noted for the quality of its concert performances. But when it came to marching, watch out.

We didn't do a lot of marching, and we certainly didn't enter band competitions in those days. I remember the time Mr. English, the band director, lined us up on the playground of the next-door elementary school and tried to turn us into a marching band in one week. He could have used some help from Harold Hill. It turned out we were pretty good walkers but terrible marchers. No one watching the parade complained.

Starting today, Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University are in the spotlight at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland. As marching band venues go, this is the premiere event in the world. And it's the second time the Golden Eagles Marching Band has been invited to perform over three-plus weeks.

The Tattoo performances are thrilling to watch, but imagine what a charge it must be for those university band members to be performing with the likes of the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, His Majesty the King's Guards Band and Drill Team of Norway, the Massed Pipes & Drums and the Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, along with bands from Australia, Canada, the Far East and the Massed Highland Dancers.

The Golden Eagles already have received a formal welcome from Lord Provost (mayor) George Grubb, Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Edinburgh and chairman of the board of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo.

Last Monday, the band gathered in "full ceremonial attire" at Edinburgh's City Chambers Quadrangle to be welcomed by and to honor the lord provost.

Here's how a news release from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo described the Golden Eagles and their visit the lord provost: "This elite collegiate band will bring a touch of pizzazz to proceedings as well as providing an early glimpse of what is likely to be one of next month's star-turns" at the Tattoo.

I think they like the Golden Eagles in Edinburgh. And what's not to like?

The weekend before the band left Cape Girardeau for its tour of England and the special performances in Scotland, I had several hours of yard work to do. I like to work in the yard, and I was enjoying myself immensely. Imagine my delight when I heard the Golden Eagles practicing on campus just a few blocks away. And practice they did. There's a reason the band is so good. Not only are they talented, but band members work long, hard hours perfecting their music and their routines.

Congratulations to the Golden Eagles, their director (since 1990), Barry W. Bernhardt, and their percussion instructor, Dr. Shane Mizicko.

Make us proud. Again.

R. Joe Sullivan is the editor of the Southeast Missourian.