Follow us on:

Bronze Buzz

8:14 a.m. 5 degrees outside. Sara, Bonnie, Monica and Jeni are finishing up a bagel and croissant breakfast at Bruegger’s in Shoreview. Coffee anyone? Monica says today’s drink of choice is the Fa La Latte with an extra shot from Carabou Coffee. Shot of what?

8:16 a.m. Patti arrives to join the group. We’re soaking up the sun shinning through the windows, discussing the future concert and black lights. Turns out we have to rely on our own. Will it work?

8:29 a.m. Patti mentions she’s glad she doesn’t have to drive east every morning. Did we mention it’s 5 degrees outside and cold?

8:45 a.m. The breakfast group arrives at Peace United Methodist Church and greets Phil. Surprise, Peace is performing in church on Sunday. Peace regularly borrows Twin Cities Bronze’s bass bells, and TCB uses some of Peace’s bells as doubles. Slight glitch, but easily resolved with additional borrowing of bells. Peace found a set of bass bells from Woodbury United Methodist Church to borrow, and Phil’s church, Central Lutheran in Minneapolis, was gracious enough to lend us some doubles for today’s concert.

9:16 a.m. The trailer is loaded. Do we have everything? It seems kind of light and empty? Departing for Orchestra Hall.

9:34 a.m. On 35W South. Made sure we took the correct 11thSt. exit. There’s a huge difference between 11th St. and 11th Ave.

9:38 a.m. Circling the parking ramp by Orchestra Hall. We weren’t able to get into the North side ramp as we wanted, so once we find a parking spot, we will still have to walk.

9:40 a.m. Are we at the top yet? Finally – spots are open!

9:50 a.m. Inside Orchestra Hall and dumping off our costumes, music, and everything else we carried in for the day. It’s so nice inside! Greeted Bill, Martiey and Maggie. Chris is called to provide extra unpacking help. This year our Green Room is the large room, where we’ll be able to see the Holidazzle parade for the first time.

9:52 a.m. Waiting for the trailer to arrive – thanks to our windows, we spot it from the Green Room. The stage hands are excellent help in getting all the equipment up to stage level via the elevator.

10:04 a.m. We’re begging for more table space. Let’s see, if we take out the 6 footer, can we add two 4 footers and still leave room for the string bass amplifier? Eventually it all works out. Traditionally we ring in a slight curve, but because of limited stage space for Jingle Bell Doc concerts, we have to ring in a straight line.

10:51 a.m. Finished with stage set up and it’s time for lunch.

10:56 a.m. Distracted and change of plans. Load the black lights with batteries. Discussion held about a potential need to find more black lights tomorrow.

11:01 a.m. Arrive at Britt’s Pub, just across Peavey Plaza from Orchestra Hall. Do they have Diet Coke? Excellent, they do. Sorry, no beer allowed prior to the concert. Debate ensues about which is better, creamy tomato soup, or tomato soup with tomato chunks? Britt’s serves it creamy, and several members order it.

11:13 a.m. Monica reads the program description about TCB.

11:26 a.m. Monica is trying to figure out who called her from a 704 area code twice this morning, and didn’t leave any messages. Via Google, it’s determined Tim Waugh called. Monica calls back, but he’s busy.

11:29 a.m. Bass players all happen to be at lunch, and have their photo taken in front of the Bass Ale sign hanging on the wall.

11:37 a.m. Food arrives. Silence falls across the table.

12:22 p.m. Everyone back at Orchestra Hall. We greet Alyssa, Sharon, Beth and Chris again. Music books are out and surprise, Monica is handing out music for tonight’s performance.

12:26 p.m. Plenty of questions ensue. Where’s this starting? How fast is this? Will Doc direct this in 2?

12: 50 p.m. 10 minute call for dress rehearsal.

1 p.m. Start playing Deck the Halls for the first time.

1:20 p.m. Done with Deck the Halls now and it makes sense. We sit back to relax for much of the rest of the rehearsal and pass notes back and forth finalizing the bell part of Deck the Halls and determining who still needs mallets for Farandole. Maggie and Chris make friends with members of the Chorale because for some reason we’re short two chairs, and they are sitting on the risers at their feet.

1:56 p.m. Several songs have been rehearsed with the chorale, the big band, the orchestra and vocal soloist Vanessa Thomas who is back this year. Monica passes down a note as a “heads up” that the Hallelujah Chorus might have major changes this year. Rearrange the bells to rehearse the Hallelujah Chorus.

2:06 p.m. Doc changes up the planned concert again. Sugar Plum Fairy is out and O Holy Night is in. But “keep it in your books” is a very common sentence out of Doc’s mouth, and it’s said now. During the run through of Sugar Plum Fairy, members of TCB started laughing. We had just played this piece for the Arboretum concert, and in our arrangement we have a “oh XXX” moment. But in the Doc arrangement, where the “oh XXX” moment happens, the big band broke out into some jazz, and totally deleted the problem. Sounds like a good idea to us.

2:16 p.m. Break time. Monica finds two chairs for Maggie and Chris. The rest of us reset for the second half. The lost mallets have been recovered.

2:34 p.m. Patti and Jeni “ghost” ring through Bell Carol Fantasy, to the amusement of the Chorale members sitting behind them.

2:36 p.m. Rehearsal starts back up again.

2:38 p.m. Oh no, we’ve been moved. We were supposed to play Farandole fourth in the program, but now we’re just before O Holy Night in the first half. Phew, we didn’t get cut. More rehearsing of tunes with the orchestra, chorale, Doc’s grandchildren Blaire and Gray Reinhard, and the band.

3:14 p.m. Yeah, another piece we have a part in: THE BIG ENDING. It only has Beth, Chris, Maggie and Patti playing four measures right at the end.

3:20 p.m. Patti says she’s confused – there are more bells needed for THE BIG ENDING. Now Jeni is added to the list.

3:30 p.m. Rehearsal is over, and as usual, we’re skipping Hallelujah Chorus. Hopefully there won’t be any major changes!

3:35 p.m. Doc rehearsing with Big Band on their number. Monica connects with our percussion friends who will be helping us out with Farandole. We love those guys!!!! She decides to run Bell Carol Fantasy.

3:48 p.m. Monica starts us on Bell Carol. There’s people running all around, the lighting guys are attempting to get everything dark. The run through goes OK. It will be better in concert.

4 p.m. Up to the Green Room. Some people run home to let their dogs out, some head out for dinner, while others start working on hair and makeup.

5 p.m. Dinner from Lee Ann Chin arrives. A mad dash is made for the cream cheese wantons.

5:45 p.m. Dinner is done and everyone starts getting dressed, finishing up hair and makeup.

6:30 p.m. Head down to the stage to run through Farandole once. The ushers are having their meeting, and were a great audience. Worked out the tweaks of playing in a straight line.

6:45 p.m. Take the bells and our music out for some lobby ringing. They have us right in front of the Christmas tree, and oh look, they have bell ornaments hanging on the tree. We added some additional bells underneath to enhance the décor.

6:56 p.m. Start the lobby ringing. As more and more people show up, we begin encouraging them to sing along with… Oops, our music doesn’t have the second verse to Jingle Bell. No worries, it all works out in the end. And one man even knew all three verses to Jolly Ol’ St. Nick. Lots of smiling faces.

7:45 p.m. Load all the bells back up and head to the stage. It’s time for the concert!