HERSHEY PA – The award-winning Pottsgrove High School Marching Band caps off its season Saturday (Nov. 13, 2010) when it appears at about 8:30 p.m. at Hershey Park Stadium, Hershey PA, and competes for a championship trophy in the Cavalcade of Bands Association‘s American Division.

Band members take the field at Conrad Weiser.

Special honors will be accorded that night, as well, to a Pottsgrove band member who has been selected to be among those playing for a national audience next January (2011).

• Watch a video, above, of the band’s most recent performance (Nov. 6) in Hatboro-Horsham, or see it at the YouTube account of 999Hellkid.
• See a second video, of the band’s October show at Conrad Weiser High School, here.

Pottsgrove’s presence in the division is new this year, having been moved up in the Cavalcade ranks from the smaller Independence Division during 2009. So far, Pottsgrove School District officials say, the promotion has been a resounding success. The band has secured five first-place wins:

• last week (Saturday, Nov. 6) in a Hatboro-Horsham show, with a score of 87.70;
• Oct. 30 at Pittston, 87.25;
• Oct. 23 at Conrad Weiser, 87.80;
• Oct. 16 at Unionville, 82.15; and
• Sept. 25 at Boyertown, 74.95;

as well as placing second Oct. 2 at the Owen J. Roberts competition.

Its pleasantly surprising performance as a division newcomer, and anticipation about the upcoming Hershey presentation, sparked several proud comments Tuesday (Nov. 9) from the district Board of School Directors as its members gathered for their first of two November meetings. “We’re doing well against much tougher competition,” board President Michael Neiffer said, smiling.

On Saturday, according to the association, those divisional competitors will include Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Wood, Bensalem, Bermudian Springs, Conestoga Valley, Greencastle-Antrim, Littlestown, Northern Lebanon, Penn Manor, Phoenixville, Pitman, Springfield (Delaware County), and Spring Grove.

Band member Victoria Remelius, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Remelius of Pottstown, will be publicly recognized in Hershey for her selection by the National Association for Music Education as part of the 2011 U.S. Army All-American Marching Band. She will play mellophone when that group performs Jan. 8 (2011) during half-time at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl football game in the Alamodome, San Antonio TX.

Association judges chose Remelius from among other performers across the country as one of only 125 players selected to receive the all-expenses-paid trip to Texas for the bowl experience. She is one of just three Pennsylvanians chosen, according to the organization, and she’ll be joined there by seven other mellophone instrumentalists from Virginia, Oregon, New York, Indiana and Georgia.

Locally, Remelius’ accomplishment will be recognized this morning (Thursday, Nov. 11) during a presentation at the high school.

Related (to the Pottsgrove Board of School Directors’ Nov. 9 meeting):

• Pottsgrove Band Heads To Hershey For Championships

Photo from YouTube