The South Portland High School Marching Band won a 17th consecutive gold medal at the Maine Band Directors Association finals at Sanford High School on Oct. 29. The victory brings the band’s total number of gold medals to 20.
The marching band’s show, Postcards from Spain, featured music from composer Randall Standridge and band director Craig Skeffington. The 38-member group was led by senior drum majors Olivia Petersen and David Amos and color guard captain Elizabeth Withers, and featured soloists Meghan Perry on trumpet and Jane Bonnevie-Rothrock on trombone.
This year’s Section leaders were Alice Bonnevie-Rothrock (flutes and clarinets), Jane Bonnevie-Rothrock (low brass), Wilson Boutwell (percussion), Meghan Perry (trumpets), Luis Rios Blas (alto saxophones), and Elizabeth Withers (color guard). After last year’s cancellation of the marching band season due to Covid-19, and the major impacts of the pandemic on school music programs (including the ban on indoor playing of instruments and singing in the fall of 2020, and the cancellation of last year’s winter percussion and winter guard programs), students, staff and families were excited for this year’s marching band season.
South Portland hosted a successful marching band home show on Oct. 2.
This year’s season was not without its challenges, primarily due to rain, which caused the cancellation of one of the six shows and several date and time changes. However, the South Portland marching band rose to the challenge and received increasingly higher scores for its performances each week, culminating in finals when the band received five out of five stars for each category rated, including drum major, percussion, color guard, visual effect, musical performance and general effects.
Congratulations to the 15 South Portland High School seniors who have been integral members of the band, and congratulations to our gold medal winning marching band. After the awards banquet on Nov. 10, the marching band will be participating in South Portland’s Veterans Day parade on Nov. 11 before hanging up their uniforms until next season.
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