BHF Rememberance: The Beefeaters' Entrance
We beefeaters play pitch downstairs in the makeup room before our call: Six guys in oversized red coats, sitting around a table, playing cards, our halberds (we call them "sticks") leaning against the wall. We're down there for the pre-show, mostly. We are one of the first groups out in the procession. So we get called right around the beginning of the show. We file up the stairs with our pole-axes into the darkened narthex, usually as the closing acts of the pre-show are going on. The lords and ladies file out and we can hear the monks chant as the show begins.
We get to watch the candle sprite go in. This year, one of the beefeaters was the proud papa of the candle sprite. So he always peered through the window, to watch her walk down the aisle with the lantern and curtsy to the pastor as she hands off the light to him.
The pipers line up before us. We can hear them puff up their bags, getting ready to go in. Occasionally, there's a little blurt from the drone pipes and one of the beefs always says, "Excuse me," as if he had just passed gas. The doors open and the pipers step through, and then we line up. Through the windows in the doors, we can see the red of the kilts, starting up the aisls as the drummer rat-a-tat-tats and the pipers blare into "Scotland the Brave." They march, the doors open, and we dip our halberds as we step into the sanctuary to get our first glimpse of the audience. We line up and our captain taps his halberd against the stone floor three times and calls "Company Ho!" for our advance.
We get to watch the candle sprite go in. This year, one of the beefeaters was the proud papa of the candle sprite. So he always peered through the window, to watch her walk down the aisle with the lantern and curtsy to the pastor as she hands off the light to him.
The pipers line up before us. We can hear them puff up their bags, getting ready to go in. Occasionally, there's a little blurt from the drone pipes and one of the beefs always says, "Excuse me," as if he had just passed gas. The doors open and the pipers step through, and then we line up. Through the windows in the doors, we can see the red of the kilts, starting up the aisls as the drummer rat-a-tat-tats and the pipers blare into "Scotland the Brave." They march, the doors open, and we dip our halberds as we step into the sanctuary to get our first glimpse of the audience. We line up and our captain taps his halberd against the stone floor three times and calls "Company Ho!" for our advance.