North Schuylkill hosts regional Tournament of Bands championships
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL PHOTO - North Schuylkill football band drum major Sarah Campbell directs her Spartan Band as they perform for the participating bands in the Tournament of Bands Region 2 Championship.
By Kaylee Lindenmuth | [email protected]
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – Nine marching bands from northeastern Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley converged on the new turf at Spartan Field Saturday for the Region 2 Championship competition for the high school marching band competition circuit Tournament of Bands.
The event marks the annual “home competition” for the North Schuylkill Spartan Band.
Local bands, such as Mahanoy Area, Tamaqua, and Pottsville participated, as well as more distant bands, such as Pocono Mountain East, Lake Lehman, and Northern Lehigh.
The competition itself was split into seven sections, based on the band’s size and classification. In the Tournament of Bands circuit, bands are placed in groups based on their size, with Group 1 being the smallest, with up to 30 musicians and 30 auxiliary members. Group 2 is 31 to 50 musicians, Group 3 is 51 to 75 musicians, and Group 4 is 76 or more.
The classes determine the difficulty of competition itself, according to the TOB rulebook.
Open Class is the highest level, offering “a balanced emphasis on repertoire/composition and achievement/excellence,” according to the rulebook. ‘A’ Class, the next tier, has “design and repertoire curriculum…aligned with reasonable expectations for bands which are new to the competitive arena.” Remaining is the Festival class, which is intended to “introduce bands to TOB,” and is an exhibition-style competition with simple ratings: gold, silver, and bronze.
The shows were varying, with North Schuylkill performing their Tortoise and the Hare-inspired show, while Wilson, from Northampton County, performed an Elvis tribute.
Prior to the presentation of awards, a $500 scholarship was awarded by the Tournament of Bands to a Lake Lehman student, Madison Chulick.
Results
Group 1 – Festival
1. Schuylkill Haven – Silver
Group 2 – Festival
1. Mahanoy Area – Silver
Group 4 – Festival
1. Tamaqua – Gold
2. Pottsville – Silver
Group 1 – ‘A’
1. North Schuylkill – 83.860 – Special Awards: Auxiliary, Percussion
Group 2 – ‘A’
1. Wilson Area – 84.190 – Special Awards: Auxiliary, Percussion
Group 1 – Open
1. Northern Lehigh – 89.050 – Special Awards: Auxiliary
2. Lake Lehman – 87.700 – Special Awards: Percussion
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