Our opener is from the first movement of a piece entitled "Gorgons." This dark and rhythmic piece sets the mood for the show right from the start. There is a strong amount of expressive movement in this show, which is something new for us. Based on the history of Medusa, including her warlike persona and fearsome looks, this movement will not be light and jovial :-)

There are many interesting sounds emanating from the band, including the bowing of metal, whistles, water chimes, and several others. The woodwinds and pit tradeoff rhythmic motives which are then followed by double tonguing brass parts. Atonality starts to creep in, which is also reflected in the drill. Then the pit plays a long series of sixteenth notes at about 172 beats per minute, which was originally a string feature. There is no tonal pattern, making this very difficult to perform. At the same time the percussion has a series of rhythmic tradeoffs while the winds and colorguard are performing very fast intermixed geometric drill. These two entities finally separate during a battery feature, leading to a reprise from the beginning to end the opener.

Next is a mixture of two songs, "Iscariot" and "Bump," which starts with a vertical "morph" across the field. "Iscariot" begins with a loud downbeat from the pit membranes and is followed by a dark chorale from the low brass and woodwinds. We then create an overlay of sight and sound into "Bump." Basically, the new song evolves from the prior song, and for a short time the two songs are being performed at once. While both are fairly dark in nature, "Bump" is VERY rhythmic. This represents the dichotomy of Medusa's personality, of what she once was and what she has now become. The middle section is a driving vamp (or shout chorus). This powerful groove is filled with unison rhythm in most elements of the band with the occasional "cat call" screaming overtop in the midvoices and trumpets. We then morph to the second half of "Iscariot," which ends very solemnly with the sense of something eminently glooming over the horizon. We will 'free form' into a large curvilinear form during an intense build from the third movement of the "Concerto for Flute and Orchestra," which climaxes into a huge chord that we hope will leave the audience amazed.

The next piece is a short transition from "Gorgons" called "Perseus Spell 2." This dreamlike section which is only represented by marimba, vibes, xylophone, and bells, which leads into our next section.

This next piece is what people expect from Marian Catholic. Lots of drill, fast tempo, twenty-one rifles, and a ton of notes. It is simply entitled, "Medusa." The rhythm, while triplet based, sets the tone of intensity and power. Using the percussion as a driving force, the band keeps pressing forth tempo and volume, while the tonality is becoming increasingly dissonant. You start the see the picture of Medusa's chaos in herself (and that of Perseus). The work concludes with a very loud chord being played by the winds, very tribal rhythmic patterns performed on drum racks on the front sideline by the battery. The entire band condenses into a very small pod on the front sideline.

We are actually ending our show with a small section from a piece entitled "Concerto for Flute and Orchestra." It is truly one of the most beautiful pieces of music we have ever heard. Christopher Rouse is a composer of the highest caliber. From eclectic, dissonant sounds to beautiful sonority, Rouse can do it all.

Finally, the fifth movement of the Concerto is revealed, performed by solo flute and/or trumpet. This is one of the prettiest melodies you'll ever hear. The band slowly exits in a free, dirgelike manner into a block in the end zone of side two. In death, Medusa finally finds a sense of peace. This emotion is revealed in the solemn nature of the band. While we end with a ballad, it seems very appropriate for this production. Hopefully, we will create something memorable.

The students, parents, staff, and directors are working very hard to create a piece of art. We hope you have a chance to see it.

Marian Band wins BOA Regional

The Marian Catholic Marching Band scored 91.15 in the Bands of America Regional finals on Saturday night to edge out Lawrence Central and Carmel (both Indiana) to capture first place in the 32-school BOA Indianapolis Regional.

The Spartan Band, which won its first regional title since 1989, was also best in the Regional for "Outstanding General Effect."

"Since the state competition at Illinois State, we have added two minutes of music to the show," Band Director Greg Bimm said. "The new soft, passive ending contrasts sharply with the rest of the show.

"Right now, the show is successful from an energy level. However, the real key to our overall success is all the detail work left to do. We have a tremendous amount to do and just a few short days to do it in for the show to be able to hold up under the heightened scrutiny we will face at Grand Nationals."

The MCHS Band will return to the RCA Dome Friday and Saturday in pursuit of its seventh overall Grand Nationals Championship. Bands numbering 88 from across the country will compete for the title.

"The band faced long rehearsals, a long bus trip and barely had five hours sleep before the first performance on Saturday," Associate Director Marc Whitlock said of the regional title. "But despite all the challenging conditions, the kids performed with energy and vigor."

The Marian Band last won the Grand Nationals in 1997 and also captured titles in 1985, 1987-89 and 1994. Marian's preliminary performance will be at 2:45 p.m. on Friday (3:45 p.m. EST) with semifinals and finals to follow on Saturday.

Marian Band wins BOA Grand Nationals

Based on its finals showing, Marian Catholic was also best in the nation for Outstanding General Effect. With its performance in the semifinal round, the Marian Catholic Marching Band captured first place in Class AAA. The Spartan Band was one of 12 to qualify for the Saturday night finals from a field that numbered more than 85 on Friday morning.

The MCHS Band also earned first place in Class AAA for "Outstanding Music Performance" and "Outstanding General Effect."