The Long Red Line(Alumni)
History of the Big Red Band
For a look at some of the archives, click here
The
Big Red Band of Parkersburg High School was not originally a marching
band, but just performed concerts. In the early 1920s, it switched to
marching in support of the football team, and marched its first half-time
show in 1924. Included among the first 80 years of it's existence
was a performance for Queen Marie of Romania on Friday, November 19, 1926.
Its first director was a man of small stature but large expectations:
George Dietz. His expectations were fulfilled; he took the band to several
national championships, including back-to-back winnings in 1937 and 1938.
Originating from Dietz's masterful direction, the band continues in high-class
fashion through many different directors. The band has been invited to
perform at many different festivals and receives honors for performance
yearly at regional and national band competitions. In 2005, the concert
and jazz bands captured gold medal ratings at the Heritage Music Festival
in New Orleans, Louisiana. The concert band received a first place while
its jazz ensemble took second place honors. As a result, the band has
been invited to perform with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2006.
For a listing of
many of the awards won by the Big Red Band, click here. Concerning the name "Band" vs. "Marching Band" Recently, we have received a number of communications to the website
staff, concerning the use of the phrase "Marching Band" instead of just
"Big Red Band." As we are going to great efforts to get it right,
we did some substantial research into this. Going back into
records of the Parkersburg High School band program, we can establish
that before 1924 there is no record of any marching activity of the
band. George Dietz formed the first marching unit. Whether
or not he or the school intended for the name "Band" or "Marching Band"
to be applied we cannot determine. We can, however, find in
records as far back as the early 30's the use of the term "Marching
Band" when the band was performing halftime shows, or in parade.
As late as the early 1990's, we can track the term "Marching Band" in
both official business of the school, as well as local publications.
Since the policy of Parkersburg High School to this day is to allow
certain students who participate in fall athletics, or are physically
unable to march in formation, the ability to perform in concert only,
and make such a distinction in their official class description, we have
used the term "Marching Band" for those students who make the total
commitment year-round to the program; marching in parade as well as
halftime shows and competitive performances. Please understand
that we are not trying to set precedence, or fly in the fact of time
honored tradition, but are simply working to keep those traditions of
PHS alive. We apologize if we have offended anyone. Webmaster, phs-bigredband.com Directors of the PHS Big Red Marching Band
The
band has often been invited to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and has been invited to the Circleville, Ohio, Pumpkin
Festival, the (Kentucky) Derby Parade in Louisville, Kentucky, the 1982
World's Fair, and the 1998 Peach Bowl parade and halftime show. The Big
Red Band marches in all area homecoming and seasonal parades and performs
for a variety of local activities, including playing for the late President
Ronald Reagan's visit to Parkersburg. Members of the band joined other
high school musicians to play for several recent visits of President George
W. Bush.
The Big Red Band has had a long tradition as a military band, and is the
only band in West Virginia that continues to honor that style while
adapting to the modern world of marching bands. The Big Red Band is,
above all, a music-making organization, and strives to create the best
possible sound whether marching or playing in a concert setting.
C. O. Chapman
George Dietz 1924-48
Charles Shackelford 1949-50
Frank Shroeder 1950-64
James Hoy 1964-72
Edward McKown 1972-77
Kent (1977-86) and Felice Jorgeson (1980-86)
David Burton (1987- 1996)
Rockland "Rocky" Wiseman (1996-2004)
Earl Corrothers (2004-2006)
Daniel B. White (1st alumnus to become Big Red Band
Director) 2006-present Can you help
us to better define the history of the Big Red Band? If you have historic
information, corrections, or photos you'd like to share, please email them to
the webmaster
HERE. We appreciate all help in getting it right!
This web page is based on the history of the PHS Big Red Band, as found in information from Booster organization archives, local news sources, former members of the Big Red Marching Band, wikipedia.com, as well as the archives of Parkersburg High School (2007 all rights reserved)