Band earns 3-part Sweepstakes

By Donnie A. Lucas

The Albany High School band earned a pair of Division I ratings at the UIL Region 2 East Zone Concert and Sight Reading contest in  Abilene Tuesday, also picking up the first-ever Program Sweepstakes for the group.

Albany was given two Division I ratings and a Division II by the concert judges, which averages to a Division I overall on three prepared concert selections.

The group then moved to the sight reading contest, garnering three Division I ratings from the judges.

The band earned a Division I rating in marching last fall. That rating, when combined with the pair of Division I’s earned Tuesday, qualified the group for what is thought to be the first Sweepstakes Award in the history of the program.

“The kids were very excited, as they should be,” director William Vaughan said. “As far as we can tell, this is the first time that an Albany band has won the Sweepstakes Award.”

The band won a Division 2 in marching in 2020, followed by a pair of Division I ratings in concert and sight reading last spring during Vaughan’s first year at the helm. He is assisted by his wife, Danna Vaughan.

“The kids had some butterflies before the concert portion, but that is typical,” he said. “They played well, with a lot of really nice moments in the music.”

The band played March Zingaro by Stanridge, The Hope for Tomorrow by Wada, and Into the Arctic by Balmages in the concert portion.

“They really played well in the sight reading portion,” the director said. “I walked around after we finished and heard some of the 3A bands, and I think our tonal quality was better in sight reading than the larger bands.”

Vaughan said the group will begin working on music for the end of the year concert.

“I had planned to have a performance of just our concert pieces next week, but it falls on the same day as the district track meet,” he said. “I don’t know if we will reschedule or just wait until our final concert.”