"The show is 'The Architect,'" said Brandon Nase, director of the 52-member Conestoga Valley High School (CVHS) marching band. Nase explained that the drill for the four-movement program will liken a designer to the questions (people) encounter and the outside influences that come into play in shaping their own lives.
Nase designated two weeks in July and August to teach the drill to the band members, who met at the school from 5 to 9 p.m. from July 29 to Aug. 2. From Aug. 5 to 8, students were at the school from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, and on Aug. 9, the group met from 9 a.m. to noon.
The first movement of the show will feature "Hymn of Acxiom" by Vienna Teng, followed by "Angels in the Architecture" by Frank Ticheli, a tune that will return for the closing number. The third song will be the ballad "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as performed by Lorde.
Using props, uniform changes, and a variety of field movements, including dance, the band will present the image of a unified and complete person during the first movement. "By the end of the movement, we find there is something wrong even though the person has the appearance of having it all together," said Nase.
In the second movement, the flaws of the subject will become apparent in the chaotic music and the drill. The drill during the ballad will represent self-discovery and control of the individual's journey, and in the final segment, a sense of peace and confidence will be conveyed.
One way the band members will demonstrate the different parts of the drill will be with props that are created in a nesting box fashion. Nase explained that in the first movement the props will be on the field and constructed in a certain way, but there will appear to only be two of them. In the second movement, the props will multiply to six pieces and be scattered about the field. "By the end of the show, we will rebuild the prop in a different way than it was seen previously," explained Nase.
Nase noted that challenges of the drill include the use of props and the fact that the show is written using a mixture of traditional drill style mixed with newer moves and creating the different stages of the program on the field. "Band members will be asked to do choreography within those stages," noted Nase, who added that the entire band will dance during the first movement.
Drum major Kayla Wolf said that the drill is a departure from past shows. "It's definitely different," said Wolf, who is learning some of the dance moves along with the band members. "I really like the music."
A number of band members will be spotlighted in the drill. Trumpet and baritone solos will be heard, along with a piccolo solo and a quintet formed of brass players. Color guard members will also have solos. The guard will use six-foot flags, swing flags during the ballad, rifles, and sabers. In addition, the color guard uniforms will be made in two parts, with a gray-colored top that can be removed to reveal a brightly colored unitard underneath.
During the fall 2019 season, the band will take part in several competitions and will host one at CVHS, 2110 Horseshoe Road, Lancaster, on Saturday, Sept. 21. As a participant in the American Division of Cavalcade of Bands, CVHS will join in shows at Hempfield High School, Warwick High School, Marple Newtown High School, Manheim Central High School, and Governor Mifflin High School, along with the championships competition at Hershey.
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