Hampton hosts Allegheny Valley Band Festival Sept. 10

Hampton Township School District is hosting this year’s Allegheny Valley Marching Band Festival at 7 p.m. at Sept. 10 at Fridley Field.

Tickets are $8 for adults, and $5 for students and senior citizens. Parking is available at the high school and Hampton Community Center, with two free shuttles to Fridley Field. Parking access is from McCully Road.

Along with Hampton, participating high school marching bands are Avonworth, North Allegheny, North Hills, Northgate, Pine-Richland, Riverview and Shaler Area.

“I’m looking forward to hearing and seeing the many great bands in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh,” said Chad Himmler, Hampton High School band director. “I’m also looking forward to all bands being able to perform in front of a large and quiet audience, where it’s easier to hear and appreciate the smaller details of the students’ performances.”

The Hampton High School Marching Band is adding a twist to a traditional prom night theme for its 2022 show, one that might have you feeling like it’s Halloween night.

Himmler said this year’s halftime show, “Senior Prom: A Night to Dismember,” was designed to be “super fun, engaging, relatable and effective in a very unique way.”

“We are following the storyline of a traditional Prom night but coming to prom as zombies — waking up from the dead and arriving at pom, dinner, dancing, crowning the king and queen — and then celebration, chaos and riot,” he said.

Music featured in the show includes the main theme from “Beetlejuice” by Danny Elfman; “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saens; “Heads Will Roll” by Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs; “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri; and Sweet’s rock classic “Ballroom Blitz,” written by Nicky Chinn and Mike Chapman.

Himmler said he likes many components about this year’s show, including trying more new ideas and pushing the traditional marching band boundaries.

“For instance, while we need to wear our normal school uniforms at football games, we are going to abandon those for competitions and wear costumes that will help the students all look like zombies,” he said.

There are many distinctive elements to this year’s show, from electronics to dancing. In particular, Himmler says the ballad by Christina Perri is “absolutely beautiful” when the king and queen are crowned.

Following the Allegheny Valley Marching Band Festival, the Hampton High School band will compete in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association competitions on Sept. 17 at Baldwin, Oct. 8 at Deer Lakes and the PIMBA Championships on Oct. 22 at Norwin.