Marching Tigers win big

Brentsville High School's Marching Tigers Band came home with six trophies from the Godwin Invitational marching band competition held Nov. 7.

An invitational is a field show when high school marching bands are judged in a number of categories — such as music, marching and maneuvering — and then ranked within their class. Bands are grouped based on their size and/or ability.

The Tigers' drum majors took second place at the event in Richmond. Percussion went home with a third place.

The band also won third place for general effects and second place for marching.

In music, the Tigers took third place, and as an overall band, they placed third, as well.

The show, titled "An Evening at the Symphony," consisted of a number of classical pieces.

The Tigers opened with Beethoven's Fifth under the direction of junior drum major Matt Morrison.

Music continued with "Largo" from Dvorak's "New World Symphony," featuring trombone soloist Megan Hendrix and senior drum major Matt Dent.

The band's drum line and pit percussion were featured with Rossini's "William Tell Overture."

The show concluded with "Danse Bacchanale," featuring a soprano saxophone solo by Kyle Sullivan, notable because the soprano saxophone is rarely seen on the marching field.

"It should be noted that this is a big deal for the marching band here that only started to become competitive five years ago when I started," band director T.J. Agee said. "Prior to that, the majority of performance was for football games. The entire dynamic of the marching band has changed, and the kids are hungry for success."

The musicians are also led by percussion instructor Jeff Hampson and colorguard instructor Amy Kamer.

An awards ceremony was held after the concert. The Mills E. Godwin High School band boosters hold the Godwin Invitational as a fundraiser.