Fade to Black

Photos by Evan Brandt

By the time Owen J. Roberts and Pottstown performed, it was dark (and a full-moon), but it was a pretty dramatic sky when the Lancaster Catholic High School Marching Band Showcase started. Then it faded to black...

You could say that there was a dramtic theme to local marching band performances undertaken at the Lancaster Catholic High School Marching Band Showcase Saturday night.

Pottstown High School Trojan Marching Band ready to begin.

Eschewing the Boyertown Cavalcade of Bands this year, two local marching bands chose instead to perform their shows in Lancaster.

Owen J. Roberts performed its imaginative movie-theme program, with music from ET, Harry Potter, Toy Story and more.

While Pottstown's show, titled "Black," features three songs that all involve the word "black."

Both programs received enthusiastic applause from the crowd.

Here is the Tout video of OJR getting started because it's easier to watch here and I like to reward my blog readers .... both of them.



I know the YouTube videos are in the "Storify" below, but I've embedded them here because its easier to watch them this way in case you don't want to troll through the Tweets.

It's not like I need sleep or anything....

First up is Owen J. Roberts in three parts:




And then Part 2:



And the big finale:




And here are Pottstown's three performances:



And then Part Two:




And last but not least, Pottstown's big finale:



Unlike a cavalcade, this "Showcase" involved no judges, no scoring; just bands playing their hearts out and the appreciative audience giving it right back in applause.

I particularly enjoyed the Drum Major costumes for both bands.

The OJR drum majors were dressed as directors from the 30s and Pottstown Drum Major Justin Beasley-Turner was wearing an impressive all-black outfit.

All in all, not a bad way to spend a near-perfect autumn evening.

Here are the Tweets for those of you still with us...

A Cavalcading We Will Go

Boyertown, which hosted a cavalcade last weekend, my first, was the big winner at last night's Owen J. Roberts Marching Band Cavalcade.




Not only did the Bears win their Yankee Class division taking first with a score of 84.65, the band also won the high percussion and high auxiliary awards against their lone opponent, Council Rock South.



Furthermore, the band also won the "Overall Music" Award but their band director, Brian Langdon, moved from Pottstown to Boyertown this year, was named the "most loved" band director.




Congratulations Mr. Langdon, we miss you back in Pottstown.



Because Owen J. Roberts was hosting, the band performed but did not compete.




(Good thing too, because, personal opinion, I think they would have kicked everyone else's butt.)



Also performing, but not competing, was the Owen J. Roberts Middle School Marching Band.




In my personal opinion, Pottstown also deserves more props than they seemed destined to get from anyone, be it referee of band judge, but then maybe I'm just a lover of classic rock music (or the parent of the Pottstown band member. I'll never tell. What I will say is that the Pottstown show is a crowd favorite, which is their first priority.)




Anyway, more results.




The Phoenixville Area High School took second place in the American Class division, which had four competitors. (We arrived too late to shoot any video. Sorry Phantoms, if anyone has any video they would like to send me, I will post it here.)




And now, on to the Liberty Class, where Pottstown and Pottsgrove, faced off against Souderton and Marple-Newtown, which is from Delaware County.




With a score of 80.85, Pottsgrove came in second and Pottstown, with a score of 78.8 came in fourth.