West Orange Marching Band Continues To Thrill (VIDEO)

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was the Marching Mountaineers’ new musical program "Rome - The Eternal City.”

The West Orange High School marching band debuted their new program to the cheers of a thrilled crowd at West Orange High School on Friday. The routine featured performances of "Vesuvius" by Frank Ticheli, "Nessun Dorma" by Giacomo Puccini, and "Danse Bacchanale" by Camille Saint-Saens.

Watch a video from the performance below. Don’t forget to visit the Patch West Orange Facebook page here.

Not content to rest on their laurels, just one day after premiering their new program, the Marching Mountaineers took first place in Group 4 Open at the Jefferson Township High School Marching Band Competition.

In addition to their first-place "Best in Class" win the Mountaineers also took "Best Music" and "Best Visual" in the Group 4 Open Class.

"The kids were terrific," enthused assistant band director Erin Lagatic. "We were all so proud of them."

Last year, the band took first place in all competitions they performed in. They also won the State and National competitions in Group 4.

• See related article: West Orange HS Band Takes Home National Championship

Want to see the Marching Mountaineers perform in real life? The marching band performs at all football games and in several competitions throughout the fall. They will be hosting their own Fifth Annual Marching Band Invitational on Oct. 7. Go here for more information.

See the schedule of West Orange High School Football games here.

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Photo: West Orange Public Schools