Vista Murrieta Marching Band Preps for Season-Ending Challenge

For the Vista Murrieta Golden Alliance marching band and color guard, a journey that started in June and has included more than 325 hours of practice and rehearsals, comes to a close Saturday, Nov. 23, during the SCSBOA Field Championships at Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego.

With a lineup that includes award-winning units from Chino, Mt. Carmel, Rancho Bernardo and other high schools, it’s expected to be one of Southern California’s most competitive marching band tournaments in recent memory, says Donald Wade, the Golden Alliance band director.

“From an audience member’s perspective, this should be an incredible day of performances,” he said. “The talk among the band community is that there hasn’t been a championship this competitive in about 20 years.”

To qualify, each band needed to perform in three shows hosted by the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA). Bands with the highest combined scores advance to Saturday’s finals. Twelve schools in the 3A division will take the field at Mt. Carmel starting at 1 p.m., and another 12, including Vista Murrieta, will compete in the 6A division at 6 p.m. 

Also on Saturday, the 1A and 4A championships will be at Aliso Niguel High School in Aliso Viejo, while Ramona High School in Riverside will host bands in the 2A and 5A divisions.

Other than the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, where the Golden Alliance captured the Esprit de Corps Award in 2008, “this is going to be the toughest competition our band has ever been in,” Wade said.

Performing their eight-minute original show, “Deity,” the Vista Murrieta marching band and color guard earlier this season finished third among 27 units at the Bands of America regional championships in St. George, Utah; placed second at a Marching Band Open Series competition at Chino Hills High School; and won the Blue Star Classic Field Show Tournament at John W. North High School in Riverside.

Most recently, the GA claimed the sweepstakes award – along with five other performance trophies – at the 23rd annual Southwest Regional Tournament at Ramona High on Nov. 16.

“What the kids do is so demanding that it takes a long time for them to forget about the technical aspect of what they do and perform artistically,” Wade said. “At Ramona, it was one of those performances where the kids were able to transcend the demand and truly become emotionally engaged in their art.”

Among the 228 musicians in the Golden Alliance, 37 are seniors and the SCSBOA Field Championships will mark the end of their high school marching band careers. After the awards are presented, they will be recognized for their efforts by other GA members and parents.

“Making it through four years of marching band, especially at the level we compete at, says something about who they are as people, and their dedication and drive,” Wade said. “While winning a championship would be nice, what we really are celebrating are these students who made the commitment to pursue excellence.”

—News release submitted on behalf of Vista Murrieta Golden Alliance; photos courtesy of Kristin Fuller, Jennifer Hess and Stacy Hackett