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Jan 22, 2024

Wood County bands, choirs hit right notes at competitions

Jun 8, 2023 PARKERSBURG — Area band and choirs excelled this year bringing home

Jun 8, 2023

PARKERSBURG — Area band and choirs excelled this year bringing home trophies, plaques and recognition across the board. Here are some of the accomplishments they have achieved this past school year:

Parkersburg High School Choir

* West Virginia American Choral Director's Association Qualifiers – Noah Ray (Could not attend, but qualified) and Nathan Thornton

* National American Choral Director's Association SATB Choir Qualifier – Lauren Modesitt

* All State Choir – Lily Floyd, Lauren Modesitt, Ally Hamric, Lily Wharton, Hunter Hall, Joshua Fruner, Hayden Leavitt, Noah Ray

* Chamber Choir selected as the West Virginia Honor Choir, scoring the highest of all applicants in the state.

* Worldstrides Heritage Festival (Adjudication and Competition)

* A Cappella Choir, Gold Rating (97.3), 1st Place, Adjudicator Award, Outstanding Choir

* Women's Ensemble, Gold Rating (97), Adjudicator Award

* Chamber Choir, Gold Rating (93.3)

* Men's Ensemble, Gold Rating (92.7)

* School also collected the Sweepstakes Award for having two or more ensembles and scoring the highest/closest to 200.

All ensembles invited to participate in the Carnegie Hall "Festival of Gold"

***

Parkersburg South High School Band

* WV Oil and Gas Festival at Tyler Consolidated HS, Honor Band for both Parade and Field Show, Gold Band for both Parade and Field Show and Field Commander – Gold

– Color Guard & Twirlers – Gold

– Percussion – Gold

* Jim Kessell Big Red Band Invitational at PHS

– Grand Champion

– 1st Place in Class

– 1st Place Field Commander

– 1st Place Color Guard & Twirlers

– 1st Place Percussion

* The Horseshoe Classic at Philip Barbour High School

– Best Overall Twirlers

– Runner Up Class A Band

– 2nd overall Color Guard

* The Black Walnut Festival in Spencer

– Parade Honor Band

– Grand Champion/Honor Band

– 1st Place in Class

– 1st Place Color Guard

– 1st Place Twirler

– 1st Runner Up Miss Majorette-Maci Watkins

– 2nd place Percussion

* WV Marching Band Invitational

– Placed 6th out of 47 Bands

– 3rd Place in Class A

– Miss Majorette-Macie Watkins

– Best Overall Feature Twirlers

– 2nd Overall Guard

Performed for home and away football games, the WV Football State playoffs and Championship game, PSHS boys and girls basketball games, and various other performances including marching in the parade at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

* Regional Solo and Ensemble Festival:

– 10 Superior Ratings

– 2 Excellent Ratings

* The Jazz Combo qualified and performed for the WV State Honors Recital and The Arts Alive Concert in Charleston

* Marshall Honor Band Participants: Claria Goff, Della Mathers, Alyssan Dowler, Caleb Rowen, Dan Life, Erin Carmicle

* Marshall Jazz Festival and Marshall Jazz All-Stars

– Both Blue and White Jazz Ensembles performed

– Outstanding Soloists: Brodie Battin and Aiden Shreves

– Marshall All Stars: Brodie Battin, Adam Woolard, Della Mathers, Caytlin Matheny

* Southern Regional Jazz Festival

– Jazz Blue-Superior Rating

– Jazz White-Superior Rating

– Outstanding Rhythm Section Award

* Regional Honor Band Members – Dan Life, Claria Goff, Landon Henthorn, Michael Kestner

* WV All State Band Members – Della Mathers, Alyssan Dowler, Caleb Rowen, Dan Life, Erin Carmicle

* Freshman Band – Superior ratings at WVSSAC Band Festival

* Symphonic Band – Superior Ratings at WVSSAC Band Festival

***

Blennerhassett Middle Choir

* Straight Superior Ratings during 7th and 8th grade ratings Festival and16 students participated in the Wood County Honor Choir this year.

***

Hamilton Middle School Band

* Hamilton Middle School band received a superior rating at the region 2 Band festival this April. In February they attended solo and ensemble and had a marimba soloist receive a superior rating for her solo and their 7th-8th grade percussion ensemble received a superior rating as well. In the fall, one of their percussionists was invited to play with a local jazz band during a ballroom dance. The band also had 30 members perform with the PHS band during middle school band night last October. Three members were selected to perform in the region 2 honor band held in early April. Several students from our band took trips to hear the West Virginia Symphony.

***

Van Devender Middle School Band

* Allison Poole – Trumpet Solo "Bourree" by G.F. Handel. Excellent "II" Rating. 8th grade.

* Dani Barclay – Mallet Solo "Barber of Seville" by G. Rossini. Good "III" Rating. 8th grade.

* 2023 Region 2 Middle School Honor Band members from Vandy: all 8th grade.

– Dani Barclay – Percussion

– Devaughn Day – Clarinet

– Allison Poole – Trumpet

– Paul Winter – Trumpet

***

Williamstown High School Band

The Pride of Williamstown participated in 6 competitions.

* John Marshall Competition: 1st Place Color Guard

* Oil and Gas Marching Band Festival: Parade, Silver; Field Show, Silver; Color Guard, Silver; Drum Major, Bronze; Percussion, Bronze

* PSHS Patriot Marching Band Invitational: 3rd Place – Percussion Class C; 2nd Place – Color Guard Class C; 3rd Place Band Class C; 3rd Place-Division 1 Overall; 4th Runner Up Governor's Cup

* Jim Kessel's Big Red Band Invitational: 1st Place Twirler; 3rd Place Band Class C; 3rd Place Division 2 Overall

* Black Walnut Festival: 2nd Place Parade Class B; 1st Place Color Guard Class B; 3rd Place Field Commander Class B; 2nd Place Percussion Class B; 2nd Place Class B Field Competition; Division 2 Runner Up Grand Champion

* WV Marching Band Invitational: 3rd Place Class C Band; Blue Division 2nd Runner Up Grand Champion

(So Third out of 27 Bands)

And overall they were 11th out of 46 Bands.

The Williamstown band also performed at City Park with PSHS and PHS, performed in 6 parades and also got to represent Williamstown and Wood County while performing at Universal Studios in March. They had 25 beginning musicians, out of a class of 86, 14 students auditioned for the WV All-State Band, two students were accepted in the WV All-State Band. The WMHS band had 34 entries for the Solo and Ensemble Festival with 78 total members of the band program participating, and 10 entries received a superior rating and 16 received an excellent rating. The band had two students selected to perform at the WVMEA Conference, five participated in the Marshall University Honor Band, 14 participated in the Region 2 High School Honor Band and one was selected to perform at Arts Alive. Students also performed in two Band Concerts and in the Williamstown Strings Concerts for the full orchestra pieces.

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