The Warren County High School Pioneer Pride band has been busily preparing for this fall’s marching season and was scheduled to wrap up band camp Friday with a special performance for friends and family.
The theme of this year’s halftime show is “Red, White and Blues,” a jazz- and dance-influenced selection of songs from multiple cultures.
Band camp began on July 15,. WCHS director Duane Farnham, along with Nathan Jacobs and Aleesha Hillis, led the camp, and were assisted by several band alumni who offered specialized instruction in their specific instruments.
Band camp has been going well, but practices have been plagued by rain which has forced students to practice inside on some occasions. However, Farnham said students are dedicated to learning and haven’t let the rain stop them.
“Our kids are very pliable, and they’re going to do whatever it takes to get the show on the field,” Farnham said.
Farnham explained the meaning of each song in this year’s show, and the color it represents in the theme.
“Red will be represented through a fiery Latin jazz tune called ‘Malaguena,’” he said.
“Malaguena” is a piece written by Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona in 1933. Maya Williams will be wearing a Flamenco skirt and performing a traditional dance while the song is played.
White will be represented by “Bei mir bist du schon,” translated to “To Me You’re Beautiful,” a Germanized version of a song used in a 1932 Yiddish language comedy musical. The tune was created by Jacob Jacobs and Sholom Secunda in 1932, but was popularized under its new title by the Andrews Sisters in 1937.
“It’s a nice swing jazz chart,” Farnham said. “We are going to have a violin solo eventually,w and it’s a really nice song.”
Finally, blue will be represented by “Feeling Good,” written by Michael Buble in 2005. The song was selected for the final song as the students are familiar with it, enjoy playing it and it goes along with this year’s theme.
“We’ve done that for a couple years with our jazz band and they’ve really liked it,” said Farnham. “So, I was like, well, we’re doing jazz - so do you guys want to do this? And they said yes.”
While discussing how the theme was chosen for this year, Farnham, in his 26th year with the Pioner Pride Band, stated he wanted to honor the school and its colors.
“The school colors are red, white and blue, we want to pay tribute to the school,” he said. “This county has been awesome to me, and I want to pay tribute to them.”
Fans should have their first chance to see the band in action when the Pioneers open their football season Aug. 23 at DeKalb County.
