Big finale

Marching band ends season with crowd-pleasing show at Giants Stadium.

By: Donna Lukiw
   It was a close call Saturday when Hillsborough High School’s marching band missed first place by only two-tenths of a point after performing in the all-states competition at Giants Stadium.
   Out of 21 competitive high school bands from all over the Northeast, HHS walked away with a second-place trophy, a score of 97.35 and a standing ovation.
   The locals were defeated by King Philip Regional School in Massachusetts, which received a score of 97.6.
   HHS also tied with King Philip Regional School for Best Music.
   "There is nothing like marching at Giants Stadium," drum major Kyle Thompson said. "You have to be a part of it to know how it feels. When we got our standing ovation, the judges were even standing."
   Kyle said he felt it was the band’s best performance in four years.
   Percussionist Jon Standley remembered band director Jules Haran’s emotions during the performance.
   "After the first song she was smiling," Jon said. "After the second song she was crying and after the third song she was speechless."
   Ninety-three Hillsborough High School band members have been performing and competing against other schools in New Jersey since September and have taken first-place trophies home after every competition.
   "People that never even heard of us were standing and screaming," Jon said.
   This year’s band theme is "World Dances," created by Ms. Haran and her staff. Included in the show are music by H. Owen Reed called the "Aztec Dance," a Mexican tribal dance; "Lento" by Philip Sparke, music from Great Britain; and "Festive Overture Op. 96" by D. Shostakovich, a Russian ballet.
   "All the dance movements performed by the color guards are modeled from dances all over the world," color guard Capt. Jen Reed said.
   In the first competition on Sept. 23 at Piscataway High School, Hillsborough High School took home a first-place trophy after competing against six other bands in its group. It also won for best visual, best music and best overall effect.
   On Oct. 23, only a month later, the HHS band competed in the regional competitions held at the College of New Jersey and scored 88.25 out of a possible score of 100.
   Again, it won first place for the best overall band, best music and best overall effect.
   In September the band walked away with a score of 79.6 after the first competition, but by the state championships held two weeks ago at Union High School, it received a score of 94.2 and received first place as the best overall band in its group. The band also received first place for best music in every competition.
   Although the all-states competition at Giants Stadium was the band’s last competition of the season, it will perform during the Thanksgiving football game Nov. 24.
   "Performing at Giants Stadium: that’s when the six months of practice pays off," Kyle said.