High school marching bands compete at the classic
Frankye Robinson
Issue date: 10/31/05 Section: News
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First up were Wethersfield, Winchester, Galva and Stockton high schools, which are small with fewer than 300 students in their bands.
Despite the great conditions for the competition, not everyone was eager to watch from the stands.
"Some of these bands suck and I have a headache," said 15-year-old Brooke Cart, freshman at Galva High School.
She said she was talking about the Stockton marching band, which she viewed as Galva's main competition.
The judges disagreed with Cart. Stockton placed first in the Class A competition. Its repertoire included Tchaikovsky's crowd-pleasing 1812 Overture. Winchester received second place and Galva rounded out the top three. Stockton also took the caption award for Best Percussion.
Those bands also competed against the AA division Auburn and Farmington Central high schools for Grand Champion of the Small Division. Farmington's performance of Styx netted it the prize. Farmington also received caption awards for Best Auxiliary, Winds and Drum Majors.
At half time the Marching Leathernecks rocked the crowd with Aerosmith and Alice Cooper songs. Then, the sun sank low, and eventually disappeared. The temperature dropped precipitously. It was time for the evening's main event - the bigger bands' battle.
The Rock Falls Marching Rockets kicked off the second half with a show titled "Harlem Nights." It showcased Duke Ellington's music. The band took fifth place with a set that included the jazz standards "Take the 'A' Train" and "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)."
The Pride of Rock Island won the Class AAAA division. It performed music from the movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas." It also took the caption award for Best Percussion.
The Pekin Marching Dragons performed the Blue Man Show. They came in second in the Class AAAA with their memorable performance. Three boys in black clothes and blue faces worked the pit that included large pipes.
The Geneseo Marching Band claimed the caption award for Best Auxiliary. It placed third in the Class AAA competition, performing music from the play "Wicked." The color guard's copper-colored flags looked like flames under the night sky.
Macomb Senior High School's Bomber Band energized the home crowd with a set titled "Estancia Ginestero." The Bombers came in first in the AAA competition, and were named the Grand Champion of the large division. The band also was awarded with the caption award for Best Winds. Macomb band director Dave Wetmore was gracious in victory, saying all the students in the competition were winners and hard workers.
"They all practice long hours in the hot sun and in the cold rain."
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