Dixieland Comes to Loveland

One of the pastors of our church hails from New Orleans, although not recently. She certainly has no accent. This Sunday she invited The Stover Street Stompers, a Ft. Collins Dixieland band, to play all the music at two of the services at our  church in Loveland, Colorado. Although John and I generally attend the Saturday evening service, we couldn't resist hearing this group play Dixieland gospel music, so we shoveled the snow off the car and headed down the hill into town for the 8:30 a.m. service.

The band was wonderful. Eight men and one woman took over one side of the altar. The lady was beyond proficient, playing honkey tonk piano. The men played drums, banjo, two slide trombones, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, and tuba. If they ever missed a note, I didn't hear it. What amazed me was seeing the little silver haired ladies and gentlemen, all dressed up in their Sunday best, clapping their hands and stomping their feet. Some of them were really getting into it, singing louder than I've ever heard them sing before today.

Actually, I would have thought they wouldn't like "Just a Closer Walk With Thee" sung so fast, or with such an interesting rhythm. I knew I would, but I was really impressed that the older people did. I'm not sure why. Preconceived notions are so often wrong. At the end, when everyone marched out to (what else?) When The Saints Go Marching In, many of the most elderly were actually dancing down the aisles. I felt so upbeat, my great mood lasted all day. I think we should do this monthly—at least.