Published: October 02, 2008 11:07 pm      

Ray Stadium site of marching festival Saturday

Staff reports



Meridian High School's Ray Stadium will reverberate with the sounds of more than 30 bands from surrounding areas Saturday as they come together for the Mississippi High School Athletic Association Region III Marching Band Festival.

Hosted by the Meridian High School Band, the festival will feature 33 bands presenting their 2008 marching shows as they are rated by judges in the areas of color guard, percussion, dance lines drum major and band. The event fulfills the marching requirement for high school bands statewide.

"Band students takes this festival very seriously. Preparations started early in the summer and at some schools as early as last fall," said MHS Director Steve Stringer.

"This is a labor of love, hard work, dedication and sacrifice for all involved. And with so many negative things out youth can get involved in, band is still a place where kids come together to create positive work habits, develop discipline, team work and meeting goals while expressing themselves artistically and as a team/family," Stringer said.

Featured bands will include Clarkdale, Southeast Lauderdale, West Lauderdale and MHS, along with other bands from the region.

"This will be the best festival in the state featuring some of the best bands in the state," Stringer said. "Everyone is invited to come out and support the bands. The kids always perform better for big enthusiastic crowds – the more support, the better the performance ... Which usually amounts to better ratings."

The band festival is open to the public; admission and a small parking fee will be charged. Concessions will be available for purchase, with proceeds going to support the MHS band.

The Meridian High School Band Booster Club is sponsor of the event.

"These people are the string that holds the organization together," Stringer said. "Without the support of our boosters, there would be no Meridian High School Band."