BIGLERVILLE, Pa — Last night, the Biglerville High School Marching Band finished in 1st place out of a field of 23 bands with a score of 97.0 in the Group 1 Open Tournament of Band’s (TOB) Atlantic Coast Championships at Hershey Park Stadium. Biglerville’s show, Metamorphosis: Classical to Jazz, featured music by Antonin Dvorak, Paul Hindemith and Frank Ticheli which was arranged by Zac Carins. The show takes the audience on a journey from classical and traditional music to a jazz swing style and finally a contemporary jazz display of pageantry. Their win marks Biglerville’s third win in a row, a feat matched only by Governor Livingston’s (NJ) five wins in a row from 1988 to 1992. Biglerville also captured the awards for Best Music, Visual, Auxiliary, Brass and Woodwinds. Their 97.0 marks the highest score in BHS Band history. Their four titles, all since 2010, is tied for 2nd place on the all-time Group 1 Open list in TOB history.
“I am extremely proud of our students for the fine performance they gave tonight,” said Band Director Jamie Cope. ” It was definitely their best show of the season. I’m so excited for our students, staff and parents. They all work extremely hard and it is very satisfying to be rewarded for all the time and effort they put into the activity.”
Senior Drum Major Anna Hurd reflected on the long and successful season, which started in late May, “What’s amazed me since day one is this band’s ability to overcome anything. We’re a very young band with a lot of our members who haven’t marched before or were on new instruments. We’ve had to deal with challenges that would have scared even experienced musicians: weather, injuries, a shortage of instructional staff. But every time we thought, “This might be the last straw for us” the band, the staff, and the parents somehow pulled together and got through. This is just a very special group of people, and I’m incredibly proud to have had the privilege of being part of it.”
Junior Drum Major Jordan Woodward shared what separates Biglerville from other bands: “The thing that sets us apart from everyone else is our spirit. If we didn’t have the enthusiasm and passion for marching band that we do now, we would be just like every other band. As for being successful, it’s all up to our minds. If we know we can do it, we can achieve anything. If our mindset is great, our show will be too. It also wouldn’t be fantastic without the help of Mrs. Cope and all of the other instructors.”
Finally, Band Booster President Michael Bellarmino shared his opinion on Biglerville’s success and storied history, noting that Biglerville has finished in the top two for seven straight years, “The level of success by our band is created by four elements coming together: Talented and dedicated students who work together tirelessly for months to perfect a show that is entertaining for the audience showcasing their tremendous talent; experienced directors like Mrs. Cope, Mrs. Hollabaugh and their staff to create a demanding and challenging show where the students can display their skills; a group of committed parents who volunteer their time to help the program to make sure the students and staff can perform at their best and finally the support of our superintendent, Dr. Wesley Doll and High School Principal Mrs. Beth Graham who traveled very late on a Sunday night to see us perform and have cheered us on all season.”
The band is led by Band Director Jamie Cope, Assistant Director Georgia Hollabaugh, Visual Caption Head Shawn Space, Program Coordinator Tim Newlin, Field Instructors Quaid Swiger and Greyson Norcross and consultants Larry Hershman and Gary Ulrich. Students from grade six through twelve make up the band, including seniors Anna Hurd (Drum Major), Kylie Stone (Trombone) and Maggie Lemus (Percussion) who performed for the last time in competition.
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– Article written by Michael Bellarmino
