According to Joseph Martin, a member of the Lancaster Catholic High School (LCHS) marching band public relations team, this year's show, dubbed "Forward, Together," begins as anything but a unified presentation. "I see this show as like a hurricane," said Martin. "The opening song is loud, aggressive, fast, with competing voices and driving forces. The ballad is calmer. It's like the eye of the storm. Our closing is the rebuilding from the storm - coming back together and building up to something stronger than before."
The 37 students in the band and 3 color guard, along with a featured twirler, practiced the drill at the school stadium each day from Aug. 16 through 20. "Forward, Together" features "Allegro barbaro," by Bela Bartók, as the opener; "Wayfaring Stranger," a traditional tune as the ballad; and "Bolero," by Maurice Ravel, as the closer.
Agreeing with Martin, student director Emma Graybill added that the show reflects current themes of dissonance. "It resonates with all of us," said Graybill, noting that the opener explores discord. "Within the music for 'Allegro,' you hear those competing sounds ... where the snares are doing a pattern and the tenors are doing something completely different," she said, adding that the difficulty of performing that well makes the show challenging, but also "really cool." Band vice president Joel Olmsted agreed, noting that while the music is significantly more challenging than last year, it is the level of difficulty that makes the music interesting. Joel will have a clarinet solo in the show, and Paige Olmsted will solo on mellophone.
The drill includes complicated movements as well. "There are a lot of difficult cross-throughs," said Graybill, noting that the winds and drums will have to pass each other closely without incident.
The level of difficulty presents special challenges for those who have not taken part in a drill before or who started last year when the drill was abbreviated. Band president Vivian Klemmer pointed out that there are more sets involved in just "Allegro" than in last year's entire show.
Katie Lyle, color guard captain, said that the group will change props throughout the show. "For the opener, we will use dark purple swing flags," she said adding that she will perform a solo, along with featured twirler Alixandra Malmus. Six-foot flags will be utilized, and multicolored flags will be used at the end to symbolize unity. Another special feature will include Lyle and Malmus in a call and response with baton and rifle.
Klemmer said that the end of the show will represent the possibilities of future unity when band members join together one-by-one. "At the end of the ballad, we are behind the panels that are used as props, and at the beginning of the closer, a drum will come out and then a clarinetist," she explained.
"(The theme) relates to the state of the world. It's a very good topic," noted Graybill.
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