The Cherokee Symphony Plays for RAGBRAI XXIX RAGBRAI = Des Moines  Register's Annual  Great Bicycle  Ride Across  Iowa
	Concert performance, RAGBRAI XXIX, photo courtesy of Dave's RAGBRAI Page.

RAGBRAI XXIX overnighted in Storm Lake, Iowa, on the night of July 22, 2001. The Cherokee Symphony performed a free pops concert in Schaller Chapel at the center of the Buena Vista University Campus.
 

According to Dave's RAGBRAI Page, the high point of the day was the concert of The Cherokee Symphony in Storm Lake directed by Lee Thorson.  Additionally, everybody had a T-Shirt with their position in the ensemble, including the maestro.  Some of Dave's RAGBRAI crew joined the orchestra and Crewmember Tara took the pictures on these pages and on Dave's RAGBRAI Page for you to enjoy.  We thank Dave for making them available..
 

	The cello section was enhanced by the addition of Dave's RAGBRAI members Bruce and Aaron (photos on the left).
	Dave played the trombone (photo upper right) and there were many additions from riders.

 

The featured solist was Chuck Offenberger, formerly a writer for the DesMoines Register and host of the RAGBRAI.  After tuning his "A", he gave a virtuoso performance on the typewiter.  You will find video clips on Dave's RAGBRAI Page for Sunday, July 22, 2001.

 

A highlight of the performance was when the RAGBRAI Chorus (the audience) performed Christmas Carols with the orchestra with a slight adaptation of the lyrics, including "O Come all Ye Tail-Winds", "The First Big Hill", "Deck our Butts with Talcum Powder", and "God Rest Ye Merry RAGBRAI-ers" (click on the links to learn the words).  The program also included Typewriter (featuring Chuck Offenberger on the typewriter) and Stars and Stripes Forever.
 

The First Big Hill	Deck our Butts with Talcum Powder
God rest ye merry Rag-brai-ers Let no-thing you dis-may! Re-mem-ber that your gran-ny gear Is there to save the day To keep your knees from stress and strain Your legs from crap-ping out, Oh -  ri-ding in com-fort and joy com-fort and joy oh -  ri-ding in com-fort and joy (tune: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen)	Deck our butts with tal-cum pow-der Ouchie ouchie ow, ee ouchie ow Ev-ery day we'll scream much lou-der Ouchie ouchie ow, ee ouchie ow Don we now our bike ap-parel Ouchie ow, Ouchre ow, ow, ow ow Troll the an-cient Rag-brai Ca-rol Ouchie ouchie ow, ee ouchie ow (tune: Deck the Halls)
God Rest Ye Merry RAGBRAI-ers	O Come all Ye Tail-Winds
The First Big Hill, All the wat-chers did say, Was a blow to the ri-ders In fields where they lay, In fields where they Lay gasp-ing for breath On a steep wind-ing hill That was so like death. Oh hill, Oh hill, Oh hill, Oh hill, Gone is the Po-wer and gone is the Will. (tune:  The First Noel)	O Come all Ye Tail-Winds, Joy-ful and tri-um-phant, Oh come ye, oh come ye to RAGBRAI Come make us qui-ver, Push us to the ri-ver, Oh come and blow be-hind us, Oh come and blow be-hind us, Oh come and blow be-hind us, to Mus-catine. (tune:  O come all Ye Faithful)

The Cherokee Symphony also performed at RAGBRAI XXVI and RAGBRAI XXX when the event passed through Cherokee, IA.  The performance on July 21, 2002 featured an original composition for RAGBRAI (Music for a Great Ride) by Jim Theobald.

For more information about RAGBRAI, check out the Official RAGBRAI Site, or, for information about past RAGBRAIs (and RAGBRAI XXX), check out Dave's RAGBRAI Page.  If you would like to play with the The Cherokee Symphony during the regular season or be placed on a notification list for the next time they play for RAGBRAI, contact Lee Thorson, conductor.