Bob Jones Winter Guard wins with ‘Welcome to the Attic’

Costumes for Bob Jones Winter Guard’s show are “Bo Peep-style” to resemble antique baby dolls, sponsor Nichole Murray said. (PHOTO/KAYLEE SCHWEIKART)

MADISON – A fantasy peppered with the macabre won first place for the Winter Guard from Bob Jones High School.

Bob Jones’ show outpaced eight schools at the Clarksville (Tenn.) High School Percussion and Winter Guard Competition on March 16. The competition was affiliated with the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit (SCGC).

“The girls have worked extremely hard on their show entitled ‘Welcome to the Attic,'” sponsor and English teacher Nichole Murray said. The show features music by Bruno Coulais from the movie “Coraline” and by Kanon Wakeshima’s “Suna No Shiro” to enhance this creepy dance with the dolls.

Guard members are captains Katie Tidwell and Shannon Walker, Berencia Fore, Peyton Shepard, Caitlyn Kilianski, Taylor Gilbert, Alicia Eidsaune, Olivia Schweikart, Lindsey Booth, Hannah Fisher, Shelby Travis, Rachele Schorr, Mary Allen and Ashley Raby.

In “Welcome to the Attic,” a girl (Ashley Raby) discovers damaged and healthy dolls in an attic. The girl finds her favorite doll (Alicia Eidsaune). They dance, spin sabre, flag and rifle. However, in the attic, things go bump in the night.

Show costumes are “lavender Bo Peep-style costumes and white pantaloon pants and white aprons, (resembling) an antique baby doll. To add an eerie element, the girls paint oversized eyes on their face and add cracks because they are old dolls,” Murray said.

Murray conceptualized the show and managed set and costume design. Brooke Dailey was choreographer. John Howell routed the drill.

Bob Jones Winter Guard won first place at the Clarksville (Tenn.) High School Percussion and Winter Guard Competition. (PHOTO/KAYLEE SCHWEIKART)

Last fall, Murray met assistant band director Leigh Thomas while watching her son march at Bob Jones Band rehearsal. Murray shared her band experience, including guard sponsor while teaching in Lauderdale County the last ten years. Murray soon had the ‘job’ of working with color guard and winter guard.

Murray acknowledged support of all squad parents who raised funds, painted sets and wrangled props. “I could not ask for better parents. They support their children and me 110 percent.”

The squad will travel to Belmont University in Nashville on April 5 to compete in SCGC championships.