Band festival set for Saturday at Ray Stadium
By By Penny Randall / staff writer
Oct. 11, 2002
Bands from across East Mississippi will show what it takes to earn a superior rating Saturday at the Mississippi High School Activities Association Region 3 Marching Band Festival.
Twenty-eight high school bands in classes 1A-5A will compete, 10 a.m.-6:45 p.m., at Meridian High School's Ray Stadium.
East Central Community College's band will give a special exhibition performance at 6:45 p.m., followed by the ratings and awards ceremony at 8 p.m.
Four other region competitions also are scheduled around the state Saturday in Gulfport, Pearl, Greenwood and Tupelo.
The largest band in this year's competition has about 150 members, the smallest 35. Meridian High School's band is one of the largest with 119 members. The band received all superior ratings last year.
Three judges will review the overall band portion of the competition. Their ratings will be combined to determine a final score for each band.
A different person will judge each of the final competitions: Auxiliary, Drum Major and Drum Line.
Judges will give feedback about what they see and hear. The feedback will include written and verbal comments on a tape that will be given to each band director at the end of competition.
White said the event is fun.
The public is invited to the competition. Admission is $5. Proceeds from admission and concessions will go to the Band Boosters Club to pay for band expenses.
Competition schedule
Class 1A bands compete at 10 a.m. and are scheduled to perform in 12-minute intervals in the following order: Stringer, Mt. Olive, Sebastopol, Ethel, Lake and Union.
Class 2A bands begin at 11:30 a.m. and are scheduled to perform in 15-minute intervals in the following order: Eupora, Taylorsville, Newton, Scott Central, Ackerman and Bay Springs.
Lunch break.
Class 3A bands begin at 2 p.m. and are scheduled to perform in 15-minute intervals in the following order: West Lauderdale, Forest, Southeast Lauderdale, Raleigh, Newton County, Morton, Carthage, Philadelphia and Choctaw Central.
Dinner Break.
Class 4A bands begin at 5:30 p.m. and are scheduled to perform in 15-minute intervals in the following order: Northeast Lauderdale, Kosciusko, Louisville and Neshoba Central.
Class 5A bands begin at 6:45 p.m. and are scheduled to perform in 15-minute intervals in the following order: Wayne County, Starkville and Meridian.