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Schools

Hinsdale South Wins Big at Dwight Harvest Days

Marching band performs strongly despite rain on their parade.

Apparently the dashing of hopes and plans implied by the saying “Don’t rain on my parade” means little to the members of marching band.

The 115-member band played on in the Dwight Harvest Days Annual Parade and competition on Sept. 18 despite other school bands forfeiting their performance due to the rain.

Hinsdale South band director Patrick Maag watched as other bands boarded their buses for home.

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“The students said to me, ‘We don’t want to go home,'” he said. “They wanted to show what they had. They were more than up to the challenge in sealing with difficult weather conditions.”

And play they did.

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South’s set featured all things Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4 by the band Chicago, Sweet Home Chicago and Cell Block Tango from Chicago, the musical.

South’s band also took away first place in their class during the parade competition, along with trophies in three out of four categories - Best Drum Major, Best Auxiliary and Best Winds.

The second part of the competition was the field show, however, it too was affected by the weather and moved indoors, eliminating all of the bands’ chances to showcase their marching programs.

Maag said that a few bands left after discovering they could only stand in place and perform. 

But Hinsdale South didn’t leave - their performance won them second place in field competition overall, as well as “best” distinctions in the same three specialty categories as they’d won earlier - with the addition of “Best Percussion.”

The awards ceremony must have brought the band their second wind during their 12-hour day, because Maag described their reaction as unabashedly exuberant.

“You would have to be there to believe how excited they were,” he said. He explained that the band comprises 60 percent freshman and sophomores who are still getting used to winning larger competitions.

“We have a lot of talent,” Maag said, “and the kids are really picking everything up fast.”

The band will also have the distinction this year of performing in McDonald’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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