New year, new tunes: Hays, Lehman bands about to roll out new shows

by JIM CULLEN

The sweat has been pouring off of each and every one of them for weeks, as the Hays High School and Lehman High School bands and their respective color guards prepare to roll out their new shows for the 2011 marching season. There’s plenty of that sweat to go around on both campuses, as athletes from a host of sports, the Hays Highsteppers, the Lehman Star Strutters, and the enthusiastic cheer squads at both schools invest heavily in preparations for the fall season.

But for those tradition-laden music programs at Hays and Lehman, there’s nothing quite like the fall thrills of assembling a solid core of student leadership and a top-notch program that’ll hopefully wow the UIL judges a few short months from now.

Here’s what Hays High’s Tony Gibbs and Lehman High’s Joey Lucita had to say about the year’s program:

The Hays High School Marching Band show for 2011 is entitled “Impressions of Joy.” The music is from Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” Camille Saint-Saens’ “Carnival of the Animals” and Samuel Barber’s “Souvenirs.”

The Color Guard will utilize flags with digital reprints of impressionistic paintings “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh, “Impression Sunrise” by Claude Monet, and others. The show promises to be colorful and exciting, with intricate marching, elaborate staging and inspiring music.

The Lehman Lobo Marching Band’s 2011 show is entitled “Statuesque” and is a representation of the longevity, passion and power represented through stone sculptures. The Lehman Band has solicited the guidance of visual designer Tom Acheson and the musical arrangements of Carol Brittan Chambers, both of whom have helped lead multiple high school bands to Bands of America Grand National Championships. Our students look forward to sharing the musical and marching accomplishments with the community, and hope “Statuesque” is enjoyed by everyone!