Bob Jones Band’s ‘A Year in Review’ excels in Hendersonville

Bob Jones High School Band presents “A Year in Review” at the Hendersonville Golden Invitational in Hendersonville, Tenn. (CONTRIBUTED)

MADISON – Bob Jones High School Band taught 21 other competitors about entertaining at the Hendersonville (Tenn.) Golden Invitational.

Bob Jones earned “Best in Class” for horns, color guard and percussion divisions, “Best Overall” for horns and percussion and “Best in Show” as the band with the overall highest score, regardless of class.

Doyle Thornton is director. “I couldn’t be more proud of their accomplishment at Hendersonville,” assistant director Leigh Thomas said.

The competition marching band has 92 brass and woodwinds, 35 percussionists and 20 color guard. Drum majors are junior Matt Day and seniors Hendryck Gellineau and Ifeoma Ugwuegbulam.

Their “A Year in Review” show highlights America’s love of holidays. The show starts at midnight on New Year’s Eve, pays tribute to major holidays and ends at midnight a year later. Advanced drama student Jesse Tollison serves as narrator/news anchor.

Their program features “Auld Lang Syne” for New Year’s Eve; Nat King Cole’s “L.O.V.E.,” Valentine’s Day; “Taps/America the Beautiful,” Memorial Day; “Stars and Stripes Forever,” Independence Day; “Halloween” and “Thriller”; Aaron Copland’s “Turkey in the Straw,” “Rodeo”, Thanksgiving; and “The Christmas Song,” “Carol of the Bells.”

“This show requires a ton of acting by our students. Each holiday carries certain traits, characteristics and traditions,” Thomas said.

True to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the color guard and winds incorporated snippets of his choreography. “For ‘Taps,’ students acted as if they’re comforting each other after losing a loved one in war,” Thomas said. “During ‘The Christmas Song,’ trombones stack their instruments to build a ‘fire.'”

The show covers 50 pages of drill with several subsets and horn and body movements accompanying the music genres. For “Carol of the Bells” in ‘fast three,’ some students march 66 beats per minute while others are in “triple time” or 198 beats/minute, Thomas said.

The Patriots’ competition schedule includes Hartselle, Hoover and Chattanooga.

On Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m., the “March on Madison” extravaganza at Madison City Schools Stadium will feature both shows by Bob Jones, Discovery Middle School Band performances and numerous ensembles.