The Wimberley Texan Marching Band performed at the UIL Area contest Saturday afternoon in Liberty Hill. Their “NEVERMORE” program used dark tones and themes reminiscent of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.”
“This was the performance we’ve been looking for out of the band,” said director John Winebrenner. “They played strong, hit their marks, and completely rocked the show. Unfortunately, we had an incident with a prop that might have cost us.” The prop Winebrenner spoke of was an artful stunt using fabric to create a black, flowing tunnel enveloping the band as two members ran the length of the formation. Strong winds blowing across the material at the time of the contest caused a malfunction in the effect, snagging a few players in the effort.
“Our recovery was awesome,” said senior drum major Chloe Shipman. “Each of our marchers got untangled, rejoined the band in position, and marched their parts like nothing happened.” Drum major Izzy Frank shared, “We were solid. Even with the gaffe, our band stood out. This was the best performance we’ve had, and I hope we get the opportunity to play it again.”
Brody Gabriel, captain of the Texan Color Guard, played an integral part of the show. Dressed as a Poe-like character, he weaves throughout the main body of the band and vocalizes a few lines scripted into the program. Using flags, rifles, and a cane, Brody offers a unique interpretive movement. “Our corps wanted to add value to this season. I felt like we’ve given it our all and it showed today,” Gabriel said. “The band sounded wonderful. I love the way they sound and that third movement is so loud - it’s fun to move to and they really put it out there.” 29 bands qualified for the Area contest including larger band programs like Burnet, Fredericksburg, and China Spring. Out of the 29, 10 are invited to participate in the final round with 5 of those advancing to State UIL competition. Wimberley’s point totals fell short, leaving them in twelfth place and unable to continue into the final round.
The UIL judges noted that they were impressed with such a big sound out of a smaller sized band. They were also complementary of the Texan marching band’s constant state of movement, playing while they were marching. “Our kids improved with every performance. They showed such maturity through this season and in the face of adversity today. These young people have grown as people and as performers,” said Winebrenner, adding,”I’m really proud of these kids and to be the Texan Marching Band director.”
