By HEATHER RUPPE
Colleton County High School’s Band of Blue hit all the right notes and took to the competition field with confidence in last week’s 2021 Coastal Empire Classic Marching Contest, bringing home its second overall win in as many weeks.
The local band traveled to Effingham County High School in Georgia for the Oct. 16th competition and earned a score of 94.15, putting them into a superior rating. The CCHS band, also known as the Band of Blue, competed with eight other bands and won multiple awards, including the 4A Division Class, the High Overall Effect, High Visual and High Color Guard.
The South Effingham band took second place in the competition and Gynn Academy took third.
“A big crowd from Colleton County followed the Band of Blue to this Georgia contest,” said Tom Finigan, band director. “The Band of Blue has won this contest for the fifth time in the past six years.”
Finigan said the band gave a very “energetic performance,” bringing a lot of crowd reaction.
“We worked extremely hard this past week in some very hot weather. We put in a lot of new changes in music and visuals and the band handled them well,” said Finigan. “The crowd response to ‘Celestial Suite: Sun, Moon and Stars’ is great! It’s a crowd-favorite show. The guard costumes, the props, the drill and the music really gets you involved.
“We still have a few minor things to correct and add, but the band is on pace for the Lower State Championships this week,” he said.
The Band of Blue will soon travel to Columbia on Oct. 23rd, where White Knoll High School will serve as host to the SCBDA Lower State Championship.
The Band of Blue will march at 1:45 pm in a midday performance. For more information and directions, visit the Band of Blue Facebook Page.
Meanwhile, the band’s Booster Club is now selling fruit to help the band students travel to Orlando in February of 2022 for a tour of Universal Studios. The booster club is also selling Southern Sheets Bed Linen sets as a fundraiser.
