Panther Band Raises The Bar At Feste Del Mar

When loading the bus for a full day of band competition, there’s the thrill and mystery of how the day will unfold. This was the case on Saturday, October 1.  A warm, autumn afternoon was the setting, with a thirteen hour day on the street and in the concert hall.

After two months of work, the band unveiled the new march, Sarafand March by George Henry Willcocks.  During the wait for the Panthers, eyes scanned the distance of the long street to see who was next.  Suddenly, the froth of blue shirts (parent boosters) preceded the wave that is the Panther band. 

As the marching block approached the judges' stand, it appeared to swell and fill the street in all dimensions, in silence. This year, there are dramatic visuals before the band even takes a step forward in the march, including those flourishes done by the Drum Major.  

Austin Rennels ‘became’ the Drum Major at that moment, in the sense that leading his first judged parade was the one remaining item he needed to accomplish in his circle of duties. Now, he has officially launched into full season performance mode.

The marching uniforms were quite warm to wear. Despite red faces and dripping hair, the band still remained focused and very enthusiastic at the end of the first event.  The freshmen debriefed after they marched. They threw out so many excited phrases, it was a scramble to write fast enough: ‘hearing the trumpets start up behind me…wow!’; ‘breathtaking’; ‘I felt proud’; ‘I can’t believe I’m really part of this band now’; ‘when I heard the second note, I knew we were gonna do good’; ‘it’s so cool what the parents do to get us ready’; ‘we heard the (audience) clapping as the sousaphones went up…ah, I loved the clapping.’

One new parent observed, “I don’t think people realize how much work goes into this.  They have a five mile march coming up in New York and so there’s athleticism here as well.”

Their next competition was less than an hour later, so the tight schedule needed swift ‘phone booth’ uniform changes.  Not yet cooled down from their street march, the Wind Ensemble was transformed in formal attire, perspiring under the hot lights and even hotter hall, and somehow managed to weave a masterpiece called Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed. 

After running at full speed just an hour before, they were able to physically and mentally slow down the engine, to restrain the piece to the softness and muffled beauty of a cathedral.  This shows great control and the ability to adapt to the needed mood. They played the piece so it was full of longing, majesty and triumph, leaving some audience members a bit choked up.

Last on stage for the evening, the Jazz Band rolled out their three feisty songs.  Early on, it became apparent a ‘moment’ was happening within the Jazz Band as well.  The music and especially the solos came out of nowhere and slammed the audience squarely in the chest.  

Parent Lynn Haynes noted, “A jazz band can have musicality or a big band sound...you can blast it loudly like a big band, but it doesn’t sound good unless they have musicality.”  An accomplished band does both. It fills a room but still controls the volume so the music is understood.  Benicia’s band conjoined these well.

The audience needed a few minutes to compose themselves afterwards, to absorb the vibrant colors they just heard. The judges must have liked the colors too, because the Jazz Band received the Jazz Sweepstakes Award. 

The day continued on that note. The Drum Major and Color Guard earned a smooth 2^nd place finish. The marching band won the Parade Sweepstakes Award and the Wind Ensemble took Sweepstakes in Concert. Finally, their scores on all of the above awards earned them the Grand Sweepstakes Award, given to the best overall band for combined street and concert scores.  

After the drum major and section leaders saluted their own band, the freshmen were given the trophies to escort safely back to the school.  The awards are an honor, but even more compelling are the pluck, courage and fortitude observed throughout the day.

Next up, they plan a week of hard work to prepare for their upcoming competition on October 10, at the Marine Corps High School Band Challenge in San Francisco, where they will compete for a cash prize.