Tubas dancing, flags flying, drummers a’drumming…
Sunday, Sept. 25 was an exciting one for the Moravian College Marching Band--it was the weekend of the intercollegiate marching band festival!
Marching Bands from colleges in the area, and some from as far as Maryland or Massachusetts gathered on Sunday at the J Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown.
The approximately 70 members of the Moravian Greyhound Marching Band, as well as the others, each performed their shows in front of a crowd of proud parents, fellow bands, and general marching band enthusiasts.
And what a show it was! Starting at 11 a.m., and going all the way to 5 p.m., there was everything from Latin beats (that’s us!), to classic marches, to pop songs, rock ballads, and Russian dances.
Can you imagine a marching band doing a show to Green Day songs? I couldn’t, until Sunday, when one band’s show included the songs “Good Riddance” and “Wake Me Up (When September Ends).” Surprisingly, the angsty rock did make for a good band show.
But some of the more notable bands of the day would be the big dogs--Rutgers, University of Massachusetts, and Morgan State. All of their shows were very entertaining and fun to watch, and had a lot of energy. Of course, all twenty-one bands that performed had great shows, even if there were some mishaps (dropped flags in the color guards, a lost player on the field, a fallen piccolo player here or there), and the day was very enjoyable for all who attended.
How did Moravian’s show go?
Well they made it through, despite some setbacks--the heat was almost unbearable, some members were missing or running late, trumpets were left behind…
But in the end, they pulled it all together, and had a great show! The crowd, meeting them with applause, loved them, especially with their Latin flare and snazzy new uniforms--which were a bright blue with silver Moravian star. The show went without a hitch and the members were very pleased with their performance.
Both of the drum majors, Lizzie Brodt and Missy Zirkel, agreed that it went well.
Band members- what did you think of the festival? What about our performance?
I hope to add some photos soon so stay posted!
