The Highlander Band was named the Grand Champion out of a field of 26 marching bands competing in the Mansfield Preview of Champions Sept. 28. In preliminary competition, HP placed first among Class B bands and won Class B caption awards for Best Music and Best Visual.
In addition, Brandon Luk was named Best Soloist of the competition for his "Rainbow Connection" flugelhorn solo. The band advanced to finals with the leading score among the 10 finalists and finished the competition in first place overall, with a caption award for Outstanding Visual.
The Highlander Band's 2019 marching show entitled "Play!" evokes the innocence, imagination and pure, carefree joy of childhood, with crowd-favorite music selections, brightly-colored costumes, light-hearted choreography, a playground of props and many fun surprises. Featured music includes "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, "Children's March" from Australian composer Percy Grainger, a jazzed-up version of "Rainbow Connection," and "Joy Ride," based on Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The band's next competition is Saturday, Oct. 5 at the Midlothian Marching Showcase.