Sheldon, Iowa — It seems like every day we hear of something that has had to be postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19, and high school marching band contests are no different. Normally Sheldon would host the State Marching Band Festival in August, but that was just one more event that fell victim to the pandemic.
In spite of the coronavirus complications, Sheldon High School Band Director Cliff St. Clair, along with several of his counterparts around northwest Iowa, want their bands to take part in as many competitions as possible this year. St. Clair says when the contest that had been scheduled for this weekend was cancelled, plans were made for an event to replace it.
(As above) “A number of band directors in our area were saying they still wanted to go to contests as much as possible. And so we thought, ‘Let’s see what we can pull together.’ When we found out that Marshall Minnesota, which is where most of us would go this weekend, had cancelled their contest, and since the Iowa High School Music Association State Marching Band Festival was cancelled, I thought, ‘Hey, we could probably host this.'”
Thus was born the Sheldon Marching Band Contest, which St. Clair says, will be held Saturday evening, under the lights at Orab Field.
(As above) “All the band directors thought it would be great to have an evening performance, because something about performing under the lights just (gives it) kind of a special ambience.”
Saturday night’s Sheldon Marching Band Contest is scheduled to begin at 7:00pm, and is open to the public. St. Clair says admission charge is $5 per person, with preschoolers admitted free. He reminds you to observe social distancing, and says you may feel free to wear a mask. The event will be judged by a panel of current and retired band directors from around the area.
Six area high school marching bands were scheduled to compete in Sheldon Saturday evening, but as of Friday morning St. Clair says that two of the six have been forced to cancel their appearance, due to each band having thirty percent of their band members under quarantine.
