This year, the Marching Knights have had success in three competitions against other schools ranging from Illinois to Wisconsin.
The Marching Knights hosted the fifth annual Knights Marching Tournament on September 13, and placed eighth, and then went to the St. Rita Mustang Stampede to compete again on September 27, earning second place overall at St. Rita. The Marching Knights also placed second in the Renegade Regiment Music Fest in Sandwich, IL, on October 18.
“Our final performance this year is on Halloween at the University of Illinois. Too bad we can’t come on to the field in Halloween costumes,” said band student Walker Wilson
The Marching Knights’ show is called Anatomy of a Dream. The songs’ themes are based off of the stages of a dream. These songs are called “Shadowplay,” “Nessun Dorma,” “The Hut of Baba Yaga,” and “Urban.”
“Our show is called the Anatomy of a Dream because it takes the listener through a dream. The first song is restless sleep. The second is peaceful sleep. The third is a nightmare, and the fourth is awakening. We’ve also added narration in between all the songs. The narrator is none other than Jimmy ‘Freeman’ Devine,” Wilson said.
The Marching Knights have been known to choose more interesting and intense themes to perform.
“The Anatomy of a Dream follows the process of falling asleep and awakening, not darkness. Though the show contains some intense music, it was not created to be dark,” said senior Olivia Banach.
While competitions are primarily set up to award the top ensembles, they are also a good way for the band to improve as well.
“We are continuing to take judge’s feedback and apply it to upcoming rehearsals and competitions. The growth of the ensemble is more important than the placement at competition; however, we are doing pretty well at both,” said band director Candace Edstrand.