FABULOUS Army Field Band concert... & "vs."

[windshieldbug]

"Lacquer ACT Raw"

[Chuck(G)]

From http://www.webster.com/dictionary:

Against: compared or contrasted with <profits>

Similarly,

Versus: in contrast to or as the alternative of

Perfectly legitimate usage in my book.

[ltboice]

The US Army Field Band is a great group to listen to.
Sgt Sherlock and his felow section members are great fun to talk to.
Bloke is right the tear down is as well orchestrated as the concerts.
I look forward to the next time they come to our area.

[Scott C]

WOW!!! Thanks for the great comments. The Field Band is a little different from the other DC Bands, we are a group that tours three times a year, with the same personnel. The band is only 63 members, and we all make every tour unless special circumstances warrent it. We often sit next to the same person for 10 years or more, so the ensemble is together.
It's great to play in a real hall. Altough we like to say a HS Gym is worthy of the same performance, it does seem to go better in a nice hall. I presume you heard us at Ole Miss?

Tear Down: for those of you who get to see the show, take 15 minutes after the end of the show and watch the tear down, every piece of equipment will be loaded into the trucks in 20 minutes. My tear down is the Flags and podium, so hang out there and I'll be sure to meet up with you!!

Again, thanks for the comments, and I'll keep posting the tour schedules.

Scott C

[Ace]

The U.S. Army Field Band has a long history. I heard one of their concerts around 1950 in southern California.

The band had two string basses next to the tubas. Also, there were two cellists playing next to the two bassoons.

I was in 8th or 9th grade then and had never heard a large military band in concert. I was thrilled by the wonderful sound.

[Tom Mason]

Bloke,

I have the pleasure of knowing two of the members of the unit.

SSG Shawn Hagen is in the horn section. He comes from Paragould Arkansas, and was in undergrad school in JOnesboro when I was in grad school. A very fine performer who is finishing a DMA at thu U. of Memfus the last I heard.


MSG Jay Norris is in the arrangers unit, and at one time was a tuba player in the group. Another fine player, and was at ASU in the early 80's.


Tom Mason

[Chuck(G)]

Ha! My def came from Merriam-Webster online. Funny how the defs differ from company to company. I have never heard of "v" being used in that sense.

"Versus" in my OED carries one meaning only; namely, the legal sense. No mention of sports or comparison.

But I think the sense of comparison has been creeping into the language for a long time. The medical and drug trades have used "vs" meaning "as compared to" for a long time.

Just google "versus compared" and see what pops up.

Sometimes you have to go with the flow. Notional agreement is an absolutely abhorrent way to conduct grammar to my ear; yet, it's commonly accepted practice.

Have you ever wanted to scream at someone who says "hoisted on my own petard"? ("hoist"is the old form of the past participle of "hoise"--"to blow up").

Such is English as she is spoke.

[SplatterTone]

vis a vis