Harvest of Harmony

[Candleshoe]

Just in case anybody's free on Saturday Oct 7th, it's the annual Harvest of Harmony Parade in downtown Grand Island, followed by field competition at Memorial Stadium in GI.

This year, about 85 bands will march, with 20 of them competing with field shows.

Metro bands include Omaha Benson and Papillion Lavista South, plus Lincoln Northeast and a lot of outstate bands.

This marks the tenth anniversary of the Guiness Worlds record parade that featured over 130 bands. Due to school consolidations, travel expenses and competing parades, the H of H isn't likely to flirt with that number again, nor is it desired. Just too big a parade for the spectators, for 10/11 TV to carry, plus for the volunteers. I'm on the committee and invite anybody interested to check it out... a huge spectacle!

I'm involved with field competition, so I won't have any chance to take pics of the actual parade, but will try to get opportunities to shoot pics from the field shows.

[Candleshoe]

Here are just a few pics from the 2005 stadium shows. I'll plan on trying for better quality this time. these were just quickie snapshots...

First, a crowd shot




Next, Grand Island Senior High Islander Marching Band







and finally, the class AA bands line up to receive their ratings and trophies...

[MTO]

Who won?

[Candleshoe]

The 2005 results

Parade

Class AA: 1, Grand Island Senior High. 2, Papillion LaVista South.

Class A: 1, Grand Island Northwest. 2, Aurora.

Class B: 1, St. Paul. 2, Mitchell. 3, Minden.

Class C: 1, Heartland. 2, Centura. 3, Osmond. 4, Elmwood-Murdock.

Class D: 1, Coleridge. 2, Alma. 3, Chambers, 4, Clay Center.

KOLN/KGIN-TV Best Class C-D Band: Heartland.

Grand Island Independent Best Class A-B Band: Grand Island Northwest.

Ron's Music High Overall Score: Grand Island Senior High.

Stadium Field ContestSuperior Ratings (Division 1)

Class AA: Papillion LaVista South, Grand Island Senior High, Hastings, Lincoln Northeast, North Platte.

Class A: Aurora, Grand Island Northwest, York, Beatrice.

Class B: Minden, Boone Central, Adams Central, Holdrege.

Class D: Chambers.

Conestoga Mall Best Field Show: Papillion LaVista South.

[MTO]

Hmm its held in GI and the class A/AA winners are from GI. Any bias?

[Candleshoe]

"any bias?"

You would think so, but actually, by design, none of the judges are ever from GI. They generally are band directors from non competing schools from every corner of the state, mixed with college band directors. Last year was one of the few years that GISH won the parade trophy. They haven't won the stadium trophy in ages. GINW is flat out an outstanding band and deserve their trophies. There's also a queen pageant, and the three GI school bands "Queens" have been ineligible to compete and served only as hostesses. This rule was changed last year out of fairness to the local ladies. Here's a little "Miss Harvest of Harmony" trivia... One former GISH band queen, who was ineligible to compete was Sharon Ritchie, who was crowned Miss America in 1956.

For the 13 years I've been involved, the best field show has been won by only three schools, Hastings, Bellevue West and Papillion LaVista South... Other schools have come within a whisker, but haven't captured the big trophy. The GI schools earned "Superiors" and "Best of" trophys at competitions all across the state last year, so, no, I don't think there's any bias.

[Candleshoe]

One perennial parade and field participant that's a local favorite is Mitchell, NE High School. Consider that these kids travel from near the Wyoming border and arrive before dawn to line up in the staging area for the parade. The fact that they still nail field competition trophies after the ride and parade speaks volumes for their dedication.

[MTO]

Are any of the judges french? Just joking, I'll take your word for it.
Don't tell anybody on here but I think Senior Hi won in band one year when I was there. I think it was 1999 or somn.

[Hooloovoo]

Ah memories. Being the nerd that I am, I was in marching band in high school, and all four years we competed there. In all four years, my high school (Gothenburg for anyone who cares) never got lower than superior on the field. My school has since went through two directors and hasn't been that good since.

And the parade always sucked. It was either so cold that my lips nearly bonded with the mouthpiece or so hot that we nearly had lost a couple of tubas from the heat.

[Coyote]

Ah yes, the memories. I was one of those marching band nerds in HIgh School. And I remember several competitions where it was so cold outside that my trumpet mouthpiece could do serious damage.

130 Bands in Grand Island? I had not heard of that record. Hope you have a great day! Sounds fun.

[Candleshoe]

2007 Results


* Class D:
1 Chambers Public School

* Class C:
1 Heartland Community School

* Class B:
1 St. Paul High School

* Class A:
1 Aurora High School

* Class AA:
1 Papillion LaVista South High School


Harvest of Harmony Field Competition winners

* Conestoga Mall Best Field Show Award:

Hastings High School



Papillion LaVista South Titans






Lincoln Northeast Rockets



Grand Island Islanders




Special guest band, US Marine Corps Band from 29 Palms, CA

[Stargazer]

Papio South is the real deal... not only did they win in Grand Island... they traveled to Lincoln and won at the Links Marching Contest (where most of the AA schools were) the same day!

[Coyote]

Papio South won? Wow. How old is their program?

[Stargazer]

Not too long... maybe 5-6 years.

[Candleshoe]

I seem to have skipped a few years...

2012 event pics. A cold and cloudy day and I only took out the camera late in the afternoon for the AA bands.

No metro Lincoln or Omaha schools traveled this year. 94 bands this year, stretching from Nebraska City to Verdigre, McCook to Ogallala to Valentine.


DSC_0750 by candleshoe, on Flickr


DSC_0774 by candleshoe, on Flickr


DSC_0791 by candleshoe, on Flickr


DSC_0838 by candleshoe, on Flickr


DSC_0909 by candleshoe, on Flickr

Results (by the way, as always, no judges are from GI. All are college band directors or retired high school directors)

Harvest of Harmony parade results

   Class AA

   1. Grand Island Senior High School
   2. Kearney High School

   Class A

   1. Grand Island Northwest High School
   2. Crete High School

   Class B

   1. Adams Central High School
   2. Aurora High School
   3. Central City High School

   Class C

   1. Grand Island Central Catholic High School
   2. Kearney Catholic High School
   3. Elmwood-murdock High School

   Class D

   1. Chambers High School
   2. Alma High School
   3. Heartland Community High School
   4. Bruning-davenport High School

   KOLN/KGIN TV Best Class C-D Band

   Chambers High School

   The Grand Island Independent Best Class A-B Band

   Adams Central High School

   Ron’s Music High Overall Score

   Grand Island Senior High School

Stadium field contest results

   Superior ratings (Division 1)

   Class AA

   Hastings High
   Kearney High
   Norfolk Senior High
   Grand Island Senior High

   Class A

   York
   Grand Island Northwest

   Class B

   Adams Central
   Aurora

   Class C

   Kearney Catholic – Class C

   Class D

   Chambers

   10/11 Traveling Award for Best in Class C-D

   Chambers High School

   Grand Island Independent Traveling Award for Best in Class A-B

   Aurora High School

   Conestoga Mall Traveling Trophy for Best Overall Performance

   Grand Island Senior High

[almighty_tuna]

Ahhh, i remember those days

[BRoss]

Why no Omaha or Lincoln schools?

[Garrett]

Lincoln Links and Sioux Falls competitions

[nebugeater]

Why no Omaha or Lincoln schools?

Because it is too far to expect Omaha to drive to GI but it is not too far to expect GI to drive to Omaha.

[GuardFather]

Actually, the reason is competition.  The competitive bands in the Omaha metro area (the 2 Bellevue bands, the 3 Millard Bands, Omaha Burke) have adopted the BOA--Bands of America--style of competition.  Not necessarily better, just different, and more in line with what other bands across the country are doing.  Bellevue West used to go to Harvest of Harmony every year, but there is a contest in Blue Springs, MO that same weekend (they won in 2012 and this year) where they can compete against the best that Missouri has to offer. So they go 3 hours south instead of 2 hours west and they get judged by people like Jeff Fiedler, executive director of the Santa Clara Vanguard, a world class drum and bugle corps. As long as H of H continues to use local Nebraska judges, they'll to continue to attract Nebraska bands from west of Omaha and Lincoln.  No disrespect intended; it's just a different level of competition.  Check out NSBA this year; the judges are national caliber judges with BOA and DCI backgrounds.  And then check who the top AA bands are.  I can probably tell you before the event who will score well:  Bellevue West, Millard West, Bellevue East, Omaha Burke, Millard North, Lincoln Southeast.  Bands like Grand Island and Kearney, who do very well at Harvest, will not be in the top ten.

[Garrett]

I think Millard North does have a good chance of pushing above Burke this year. We'll see though. What's your school?