PHILIPPI, W.Va. (WBOY) — The City of Philippi and Philip Barbour High School will be hosting marching bands from all across West Virginia this weekend as part of the 12th Annual West Virginia Marching Band Invitational (WVMBI) Championship.
According to a release from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History, marching bands from 33 schools across 25 counties will gather at Philip Barbour High School on Saturday, Oct. 21 with West Virginia Wesleyan College’s marching band also making an appearance as an exhibition band.
Bands that compete will be judged based on nine different categories:
- Music
- Music Effect
- General Effect
- Marching
- Percussion
- Drum Major
- Color Guard
- Majorettes
- Twirlers
A Miss Majorette and drumline competition will be held later in the day as well.
On top of the statewide championship, groups will also be competing for the 3rd annual Governor’s Cup. Saturday’s competition will be the final of 10 in the Governor’s Cup series and will award $5,000 to the grand champion band.
“We are pleased to have such a good turnout of high school marching bands from across the Mountain State attending this year’s invitational,” West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History Curator Randall Reid-Smith said. “For the last several years, the department has partnered with Save The Music Foundation and generous donors around the state to provide musical instruments to middle schools throughout the state. Now, these students are moving into high school where they are helping to grow those marching bands. This invitational is a way for us to highlight that growing interest in music.”
The nearly 12-hour competition will kick off at 10:15 a.m. with the national anthem. Tickets are $10 each and children five years old or younger get in for free.
The full event schedule can be found below:
- 10:15 a.m. National Anthem
- 10:30 a.m. Preston High School – Class B
- 10:45 a.m. Hall of Fame – Deborah Westbrook
- 11 a.m. Ritchie County High School – Class D2
- 11:15 a.m. North Marion High School – Class D1
- 11:30 a.m. Williamstown High School – Class C2
- 11:45 a.m. Buckhannon-Upshur High School – Class C1
- Noon St. Marys High School – Class D2
- 12:15 p.m. Petersburg High School – Class D1
- 12:30 p.m. Shady Spring High School – Class C2
- 12:45 p.m. LUNCH
- 1:15 p.m. Liberty-Harrison High School – Class C1
- 1:30 p.m. Webster County High School – Class D2
- 1:45 p.m. Doddridge County High School – Class D1
- 2 p.m. Paden City High School – Class C2
- 2:15 p.m. Parkersburg High School – Class C1
- 2:30 p.m. Calhoun County High School – Class D2
- 2:45 p.m. Ravenswood High School – Class D1
- 3 p.m. Wirt County High School – Class C2
- 3:15 p.m. Liberty-Raleigh High School – Class D2
- 3:30 p.m. Braxton County High School – Class C1
- 3:45 p.m. Berkeley Springs High School – Class D2
- 4 p.m. Greenbrier West High School – Class D1
- 4:15 p.m. Poca High School – Class C2
- 4:30 p.m. Tyler Consolidated High School – Class C1
- 4:45 p.m. Westside High School – Class D2
- 5 p.m. James Monroe High School – Class C2
- 5:15 p.m. Princeton High School – Class C1
- 5:30 p.m. West Virginia Wesleyan College – Exhibition
- 5:45 p.m. Miss Majorette
- 6:05 p.m. Hall of Fame – Scott Woodard
- 6:15 p.m. Hurricane High School – Class D1
- 6:30 p.m. Elkins High School – Class A
- 6:45 p.m. Robert C. Byrd High School – Class B
- 7 p.m. Woodrow Wilson High School – Class B
- 7:15 p.m. Greenbrier East High School – Class B
- 7:30 p.m. Philip Barbour High School – Class A
- 7:45 p.m. Richwood High School – Class A
- 8 p.m. Cabell Midland High School – Class A
- DRUM COMPETITION
- 8:20 p.m. Greenbrier East High School
- 8:26 p.m. James Monroe High School
- 8:32 p.m. Paden City High School
- 8:38 p.m. Parkersburg High School
- 8:44 p.m. Poca High School
- 8:50 p.m. Princeton High School
- 8:56 p.m. Webster County High School
- 9:02 p.m. Westside High School
- 9:08 p.m. Elkins High School
- 9:14 p.m. Braxton County High School
- 9:20 p.m. North Marion High School
- 9:30 p.m. AWARDS
