It was incredibly nice weather today, so we took the Metro to downtown Washington DC to hear the US Navy Band and Sea Chanters (chorus) at the Navy Memorial. Pictures here.
There was a wreath laying, words to honor and remember veterans, and a rendition of Taps. The band played everything you would expect a military band to play, and they played very well.
And then they launched into several numbers from . . . South Pacific. The musical is big on Broadway right now so there we were, watching a Musician First Class playing an ensign singing about her Honeybun. Honeybun was also in uniform and wearing his obligatory grass skirt. They apparently drew the line at the coconut shell bra.
We thought that was pretty surreal until they launched into a medley of songs from the ’60s. It is hard to capture how it feels to see the US Navy singing the more vapid songs of the counterculture, particularly when they remind you of Berkeley. Picture listening to a military band playing Age of Aquarius, Windy, and then a crowd of veterans, uniformed servicemembers, families and onlookers waving their hands back and forth for a rousing Let the Sun Shine In.
Elysia and I both wondered what some of the older veterans thought of it, given that there are still deep wounds over Vietnam and that era. In any case, there was something for everyone and we had a good time.
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