PCHS Marching Pirates shine

This is an exciting time for the Perquimans County High School Marching Pirates.

Dressed in their new uniforms, band and color guard members recently kicked off their competition season in high style.

On Saturday, the band took several awards in Class 3A competition during the 34rd Annual Peanut Festival in Edenton.

According to Chris Whitehurst, director of bands for the school, his marching Pirates captured first place in color guard, first in percussion and first for general effect. The band placed second in music and third in marching.

“Of special note, the band took the highest drum score for the entire competition as well as the highest general effect score for the entire day,” wrote Whitehurst in an email. “Many judges and fellow band directors commented to the band staff about the amazing show design-calling it the most entertaining, most exciting, and the best Perquimans show they could remember.”

The previous Saturday, band members competed at Hickory High School in Chesapeake in Class 2A competition, taking first place color guard, second place music, and second place overall band. Perquimans was the lone North Carolina school competing in the Virginia contest, he added.

The attractive new uniforms are primarily black with a portion of the jacket and the left sleeve highlighted in white. The uniform includes sleeve accessories called “gauntlets” that are matched to the color of the corresponding sleeve. The gauntlets include a set of sequins that match the removable sequin insert on the jacket. The removable insert for the jackets allow for future band performances to use colors on the jacket that correspond to the theme of the show. The hat, called a shako, includes design elements of the jacket to tie it all together.

Each uniform cost more than $350 for a total of $28,000 which was donated by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ward. Band members and school officials were surprised and overjoyed when Ward made the presentation last spring.

Whitehurst said he and Keith Campbell of Demoulin Uniforms designed the new uniforms. Whitehurst started the uniform creation process by meeting with several consultants and designers. The design was actually chosen by student votes as well as input from several band directors and adjudicators, he explained.

Once chosen, Whitehurst and Perquimans County Middle School Director Lynn Dale inspected a sample of the uniform closely to see first-hand how it would look in a performance setting.

After the design of the uniforms was finalized, students were measured for a perfect first season fit. The uniforms arrived in late August and students were refitted individually to make last minute changes.

If you haven’t seen the new uniforms in action, or caught their latest show, the Marching Pirates will perform during the school’s Homecoming festivities at the Oct. 16 football game as well as the final home football game on Oct. 30.

In addition, the band will compete next weekend at the USSBA Southeastern Preview Show at Landstown High School in Virginia Beach and on Oct. 24 at the Green Central Tournament of Bands in Snow Hill. On Halloween, they will participate in the Crystal Coast Band Classic in Havelock.

For more information on the Marching Pirates, see their web site www.pqbands.org.