Marching band "sets sail" at first festival

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This past Saturday our very own blue and white pride of a marching band buccaneered its way to the field of Lancaster Catholic for its first coalition of the 2015 season. The day was a long one -- the color guard began practicing at 10 and the band joined at 12 -- but the beautiful fall sunshine and golden leaves made it more than enjoyable on the high school parking lot.
The band set its instruments aside to watch
other groups perform
Photo courtesy of Mrs. Karren Kurtz
L-S performed after a raucous show of Queen’s top hits from the 126-member band of Elizabethtown. But the flaming baton twirler and impressive saxophone soloist were nothing to deter the burgeoning group of 74 from L-S, a size that represents growth of over 10% from last year. By now the stadium lights illuminate the field and the sunset barely holds onto the horizon. The skull and crossbones “commitment to excellence” flag parades its way across the field on the pit cart to let the audience know just what they are in for as the and takes the field.
The show opens with the well known swashbuckling music of Pirates of the Caribbean with Jarrod Lloyd as the hijacking captain (interchangeably, drum major).  The band members even take on choreography to match main hits of the theme, a notable feat indeed.
The music escalates to a final impact note, at which point Megan Doolittle takes charge of part two: the “Song of the Sirens” ballad. The band plays majestic seafaring music off to the side while the guard steals the show with the opening, on point sabre toss, the flag solos from senior members, and finally the quintessential L-S swing flag moment.
Senior drum major Ben Pontz led the closing number, finishing the show with the famous “Come Sail Away” by Styx. Doolittle opens the number with a mellifluous solo, and after a percussion breakdown treat, the music picks up and the 10 foot white sails come out for all of the band members to swarm the drum major stand in the final hurrah of dancing piracy.

The show overall went excellently, as promised by the representative flag. We have a completely unbiased pair of mothers to testify that.
--Elke Arnesen, LSNews.org Marching Band Reporter
Edited: BP

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