Before the band marched out, large murals were wheeled out onto the field, about 10ft x 10ft. In the front was a Rosie the Riveter, and an Uncle Sam. In the back were maps of various campaigns during the war; Pearl Harbor, Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, etc. The band played well through all of this but often the auxiliary was what made it so powerful, and accentuated the extremely emotional (but not always perfect) playing of the band.

The show started out with "Mars: Bringer of War" from Holst's The Planets . The guard was dressed in black with Nazi-esque flags. I wish society would allow them to have real Nazi flags, but I guess they have to settle with things that just resemble them. The music really brought out the dread of the coming war. It was perfect, then at the final sting (you may remember it from when Luke Skywalker blew up the Death Star), something happened that I wasn't expecting, and wasn't prepared for. The band was in a tight block, and a gigantic 20 or 30 yard wide sheet was pulled over them. It was white, with a newspaper headline in black letters,

The New York Times
NAZIS INVADE POLAND

Or something similar. I can't remember the exact headline. But the entire band was draped under this newspaper. The crowd went silent, and then went wild. I had seen that trick with the sheet before, but it is always as surprise. And I have NEVER seen it done to such dramatic effect.

After that they played a swing song, I can't remember the title, but we've all heard it a million times. Guys in army and navy uniforms were dancing with girls in the guard. Then a voice came over the PA system and said "All military personal report to base." So the troops left, and the guard girls hugged each other. There was another jazz song, and the guard was holding large b&w pictures of GI's.

Then there was another militaristic song. It wasn't the most exciting part of the show, as maybe it should have been, but still good. The guard had black, white and gray flags. The ones carrying American and British flags were dressed in khaki, and the ones with Japanese flags and pseudo-swastikas were in black.

At the end, they played a delicate song, very well-balanced. The GI's came back into the arms of thier girls. But one girl was still standing there. A soldier walked up to her, and gave her a folded flag. She ran away crying as a lone trumpeter played "Taps." People in the stands were sobbing. I have NEVER heard a marching band play so emotionally. I have NEVER heard any musical ensemble play so emotionally. It is rare to hear a small ensemble truly believe what they are performing. I have never heard a large ensemble play that way, and connect like that with an audience.

They went into a slow, mournful, thoughtful rendition of the "Star Spangled Banner." The crowd slowly stood up, still in dumb shock from what they had heard and seen. Gradually, the National Anthem became stronger, louder, and more triumphant. We all knew it was coming, and we were all waiting for it. As it reached the last few lines, it grew in power until it was overwhelming. Every time I have ever heard that song, it was a formality, something played because the occasion warranted it. This time, the "Star Spangled Banner" was played for itself. The band played it because it is a beautiful song, because it is stirring, and it represents our nation. They played it because they believed what it stood for. And of course, at the end they unveiled a gigantic American flag.

A symphony orchestra could not have performed that show. A operatic tenor could not have performed that show. A cast of actors could not have performed that show. Even a military band could not have performed that show. The only ones who could do it were a high school marching band. A team of musicians, dancers, flag twirlers, supported by high school art classes to paint the murals, and parents to support them.

A musician I know once told me that he believed that marching band, while providing entertainment, had no creative outlet. Unlike other forms of music, it was not a true art form. What I saw and heard tonight was art, and art at its finest.