26 HS bands to gather in Effingham Saturday

Oct. 6—EFFINGHAM — The sound of music will be in the air this weekend as high school bands from around the state and beyond gather to compete in the 2022 Effingham Marching Invitational.

Twenty-six high school marching bands are competing on Klosterman Field at the Washington Savings Bank Stadium Saturday afternoon and evening. Class 1A competition will kick off the contest with Sangamon Valley High School marching band taking the field at noon.

The annual Effingham Marching Invitational is presented by the Effingham High School Red Regiment marching band. EHS Band Director Trent Mason said he is excited about this weekend's contest.

Mason said one of the new bands performing Saturday is Anna-Jonesboro in the Class 3A competition, and he noted one band competing from out of state.

"This year I have Northwest High School coming from Cedar Hill, Missouri," Mason said.

Northwest will go head to head with Alton and Belleville East high schools in 6A competition Saturday evening.

He said there is a different mix of bands this year because the invitational is being held a week or two earlier than usual.

"I know that this weekend is Homecoming for a lot of schools," he said.

Mason is looking forward to this year's marching invitational after the Klosterman Field grass field was replaced with a turf field over the summer.

"I think the biggest difference this year is absolutely going to be playing on the new turf field," Mason said. "It will be nice not having to worry about weather, games scheduled the night before and what the quality of the field is going to be ... It's going to be amazing."

The invitational will have six classes this year: 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A, with first-, second- and third-place winners in each class. Each class is judged for outstanding percussion, color guard, music, visual and general effect. A grand champion trophy is given to the best of 1A, 2A and 3A after the Class 3A competition Saturday afternoon. The best of Classes 4A, 5A and 6A grand champion trophy is presented after the EHS Red Regiment Exhibition show Saturday evening.

Judging this year's contest are Brad Wallace, Music Ensemble, director of bands at Parkway West High School; Dr. Kenneth Steinsultz, Music Ensemble, professor of music and director of bands at the University of Evansville; Marvin Battle, Music General Effect, former director of bands at Edwardsville High School; Kevin Nevsimal, Visual Ensemble, drill designer and visual caption head for the WGI group Chromium Winds; Marc Moss, Visual General Effect, drill and visual designer, and color guard choreographer; Mark Martin, Color Guard, color guard designer and choreographer; and Mark Ishman, Percussion, director of percussion at Francis Howell High School.

Competing High School Bands are:

Class 1A: Sangamon Valley of Niantic, Oblong, Okaw Valley of Bethany and Heritage of Broadlands.

Class 2A: Maroa-Forsyth, LeRoy, Arcola and Casey-Westfield.

Class 3A: Anna-Jonesboro, Robinson, Nashville, Newton and Paris.

Class 4A : Taylorville, Charleston, Centralia, Richland County, Highland and Civic Memorial of Bethalto.

Class 5A: Dunlap, Urbana, Marion and Mahomet-Seymour.

Class 6A: Northwest of Cedar Hill, Missouri, Alton and Belleville-East.

The EHS Red Regiment marching band is performing an exhibition show during the event titled "Nevermore." Members of the host band do not compete in the event.

"There are four movements each telling a story or poem by Edgar Allen Poe," Mason said. "First movement is 'The Raven.' Second is 'Annabel Lee.' The third movement is 'The Tell-Tale Heart' and fourth is 'The Masque of the Red Death.'"

Charles Mills can be reached at charles.mills@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300126.