The Ottumwa High School marching band, PRIDE of Ottumwa, will preview their 2014 competition show on Saturday, September 13 at 8:30 p.m. at Schafer Stadium. The show includes a replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall across the front sideline. During the show, the American Cemetery at Normandy will be constructed. The show is open to the public and the band encourages all area veterans to attend.
According to OHS director, Troy Gerleman, the marching band will present a show that will move outside the boundaries of entertainment and will represent a more serious look at an important part of our society. The fall competition show is a tribute to those who have served our country in order to ensure our freedom. The show follows a quartet of emotions, beginning with the pride of service to our country. Fragments of “America the Beautiful” are heard in a new and more contemporary setting. The next segment represents battle, and with heavy percussion. An original work, “Operation Husky,” will depict the horrifying nightmare of war. Following the battle, we reflect on the loss of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, using music from Tschesnokoff’s “Salvation is Created.” Finally, we celebrate our freedom thanks to the sacrifices of those who serve with an energetic finale combining patriotic elements with music from Hans Zimmer’s “Honor.” Following the celebration of freedom near the end of the show, the band will be a return to the somber, reflective mood of honoring those who gave all for our freedom. Taps will sound, the drum will play, and the band members will visit the memorial and salute the fallen. Visually, we will depict images from different military branches along with various patriotic references. The color guard will begin in costuming that suggests military uniforms, but transforms into another to depict their sacrifice of life as the show progresses.
In addition to these segments, the “pre-show” introduction will be a solemn tribute to the fallen using a solo drummer, a battlefield monument, and the music “Adagio for Strings.”
